Heavy Pettin - Lettin’ Loose

Details:

• Year of release : 1983
• Label : Polydor HEPLP1
• Review format : Vinyl

Time travelling on Rock Of Ages again and back to Scotland’s big hope in the nwobhm, Heavy Pettin. Seemingly perennial nearly men, they were still seeking the breakthrough in the late 80’s when I first heard of them, even going so far as attempting to qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest. This years “Prodigal Songs” archive compilation has re-awakened my interest in this band though and lead me to pick up their first couple of albums… Lettin’ Loose being their debut effort on Polydor.

Hearing the opener In And Out Of Love unaware of who you were listening to and you may mistake it for an early Def Leppard lost track as Heavy Pettin’ ploughed a similar furrow of metallic riff heavy rock with a melodic edge and in many ways only the quite unique vocal style of singer Steve “Hamie” Hayman separates the pair. A fine opener however you look at it and a track that also, quite rightly got a single release yet inexplicably where Leppard broke through Pettin’ it appears were destined never to follow. Track two, Broken Heart is more of the same. A nice clean introduction into another up-tempo rocker and whilst maybe its only familiarity that leads me to think maybe it doesn’t quite match Leppard’s standard, the production certainly isn’t an issue. Where much is made of Mutt Lange developing the sound of the Sheffield band, Heavy Pettin’ had there own name producer’s with Brian May and co-hort Mack taking the credits on this album.

Proving that harder rock wasn’t a problem either is Love On The Run. A fine number that maintains the melodic edge but is more in keeping with the whole, raw guitar sounding nwobhm sound as is Love Times Love although here the backing vocals do sound very much “of their time”. If, like me, you were perhaps expecting the odd saccharine moment thanks to the later Eurovision debacle you’d be mistaken as it’s all up-tempo hard rocking fare with the twin guitar attack of “Punky” Mendoza and Gordon Bonnar clearly influenced, as many new wave acts were, by the likes of Gorham and Robertson from Thin Lizzy. And in side one’s closer, the excellent Victims Of The Night there is no better example as they rip it up superbly bringing to a climax a heavier than expected, but certainly better than expected opening.

Just four tracks adorn the flip side of the album and once again they’re all written by the three man writing team of Bonnar, Hayman and drummer Gary Moat (only side one’s Love Times Love is credited to just Moat and Bonnar). Rock Me again starts quietly then erupts into a thudding rocker complete with the breakdown made for the arena audience. Again the Def Leppard similarities were clear for all to hear but I thought the odd Dio hint crept into this track as well although I must say that listening to it today, for me this fails to quite achieve the impact the introduction promises. The bawdy Shout It Out is better, heavier and back to that nwobhm template that served so many. It’s a bit dated lyrically some 24 years on of course but again the guitar work stands proud.

Proving adept at the ‘nice intro’ there’s another fine one to herald Devil In Her Eyes and although “Hamie’s” voice does sound perhaps a little “different” from many by this time I’m used to it and this is another fine piece of British sounding melodic metal. The band do fit firmly into the nwobhm genre sound wise and in fact are heavier than I expected but they certainly had that feel for melody that makes me wonder now whether it was just luck or circumstance that meant they were left behind. Or maybe it was the all-important slower song? Lettin’ Loose proves to be ballad free territory as yet another fine slab of melodic metal in the form of the superbly titled Hell Is Beautiful brings the album to a conclusion with neither a slowie or a hint of keyboards anywhere to be heard.

Summary : If you like you’re early eighties rock riff heavy but melodic and are looking for a change from Pyromania and High ‘n’ Dry you could do a lot worse than track this album down. Much better than I expected and heavier than I expected too it lacked maybe a corker like “Too Late For Love” but otherwise is a fine melodic metal album. My memory of first seeing them on “Wogan” trying to win the Eurovision vote is finally expunged and this album is destined for many more revolutions.

If You Listen To One Track Listen To : Victims Of The Night

Score : 3.5/5

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The mighty opener “In And Out Of Love” promo video…

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BL

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