Shock Tactics

Last updated

Shock Tactics
Samson shock tactics.jpg
Studio album by
Released8 May 1981 [1]
Recorded2–31 January 1981
StudioBattery Studios, London
Genre Heavy metal
Length39:46
Label RCA
Producer Tony Platt
Samson chronology
Head on
(1980)
Shock Tactics
(1981)
Before the Storm
(1982)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 10/10 [3]

Shock Tactics is the third studio album by British heavy metal band Samson, released in 1981. It was vocalist Bruce Dickinson's final album with the band before joining Iron Maiden (who were coincidentally recording Killers , their last album with Paul Di'Anno, in the same studio at the same time as Samson). [4]

Contents

Track listing

All tracks by Bruce Dickinson, Paul Samson, Chris Aylmer and Thunderstick, except "Riding with the Angels" by Russ Ballard.

No.TitleLength
1."Riding with the Angels" (Russ Ballard cover)3:42
2."Earth Mother"4:40
3."Nice Girl"3:19
4."Blood Lust"6:00
5."Go to Hell"3:18
6."Bright Lights"3:07
7."Once Bitten"4:36
8."Grime Crime"4:32
9."Communion"6:32

2001 re-issue bonus tracks

No.TitleLength
10."Little Big Man"3:23
11."Pyramid to the Stars"5:19
12."Losing My Grip"4:00

Personnel

Samson

Production

Re-issues

Shock Tactics has seen several CD re-issues over the years. The first came in 1989 courtesy of German company Repertoire, in 1991 via Grand Slamm in the U.S. and in 1992 through Jimco in Japan, followed by Bruce Dickinson's short-lived Air Raid label in 2000. The most recent CD re-issues on Castle/Sanctuary (2001), Dissonance Productions (2017), Japan's Wasabi Records (2018), and Brazil's Hellion Records (2020) all contain 3 bonus tracks, "Little Big Man", "Pyramid to the Stars" and "Losing My Grip", not included on the earlier editions. The original 9-song album has also seen vinyl re-issues in the UK and Europe through Back On Black and in the U.S. via Real Gone Music, both in 2017.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Dickinson</span> English heavy metal singer (born 1958)

Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer. He is the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Dickinson has performed in the band across two stints, from 1981 to 1993 and from 1999 to the present day. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stage presence.

<i>Iron Maiden</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 14 April 1980 by EMI Records in the UK and Harvest and Capitol Records in the US. The North American version included the song "Sanctuary", released in the UK as a non-album single. In 1998, along with the rest of the band's pre-1995 releases, Iron Maiden was remastered with "Sanctuary" added in all territories. However, 2014 vinyl reissues, 2015 digital releases and 2018 CD reissues use the original track listing across the globe. It is the band's only album to feature guitarist Dennis Stratton.

<i>Killers</i> (Iron Maiden album) 1981 studio album by Iron Maiden

Killers is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was first released on 16 February 1981 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and on 11 May in the United States by Harvest and Capitol Records. The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith, and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was fired after problems with his stage performances arose due to his alcohol and cocaine use. Killers was also the first Iron Maiden album recorded with producer Martin Birch, who went on to produce their next eight albums until Fear of the Dark (1992).

<i>No Prayer for the Dying</i> 1990 studio album by Iron Maiden

No Prayer for the Dying is the eighth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It is their first album to feature Janick Gers on guitar, who replaced Adrian Smith. Smith left the band during the pre-production phase, unhappy with the musical direction it was taking, and only having contributed to one song, "Hooks in You". This was the third song in the "Charlotte the Harlot" saga. Gers previously worked with singer Bruce Dickinson on his first solo album, Tattooed Millionaire, and had also worked with Ian Gillan, former Marillion singer Fish, and new wave of British heavy metal band, White Spirit.

<i>Accident of Birth</i> 1997 studio album by Bruce Dickinson

Accident of Birth is the fourth studio album by Bruce Dickinson, released on 3 June 1997 through Castle Communications' sub‑label Raw Power in the UK and through CMC International in the US.

<i>Tattooed Millionaire</i> 1990 studio album by Bruce Dickinson

Tattooed Millionaire is the debut solo studio album by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, released in 1990.

<i>Balls to Picasso</i> 1994 studio album by Bruce Dickinson

Balls to Picasso is the second solo album by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, released in 1994. It is the first album in Dickinson's solo career that was released after he had officially left Iron Maiden.

<i>Alive in Studio A</i> 1995 live album by Bruce Dickinson

Alive in Studio A is a heavy metal album released by Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samson (band)</span> British heavy metal band

Samson were a British heavy metal band formed in 1977 by guitarist and vocalist Paul Samson. They are best known for their first three albums with future Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, then known as "Bruce Bruce", and drummer Thunderstick, who wore a leather mask and performed on stage in a metal cage. Drummer Clive Burr was also a member of the band, both before and after his tenure with Iron Maiden. Dickinson's replacement on vocals, Nicky Moore, performed with Samson throughout the mid-1980s and again from the late 1990s onwards. Samson were a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Paul Samson was an English guitarist, closely associated with the new wave of British heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run to the Hills</span> 1982 single by Iron Maiden

"Run to the Hills" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released as their sixth single and the first from the band's third studio album, The Number of the Beast (1982). It is their first single with Bruce Dickinson as vocalist. Credited solely to the band's bassist, Steve Harris, Dickinson contributed to the song but could not be credited due to a contractual agreement with his former band Samson. "Run to the Hills" remains one of the band's most popular songs, with VH1 ranking it No. 27 on their list of the 40 Greatest Metal Songs, No. 14 on their list of the Greatest Hard Rock Songs, and Rolling Stone ranking it No. 10 on their list of the 100 greatest heavy metal songs

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunderstick</span> English drummer

Barry Graham Purkis, more commonly known as Thunderstick, is an English drummer who wore various masks and used to perform on-stage closed in a cage. He was in the cult-band Samson, with whom his name is most associated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Evil That Men Do (song)</span> 1988 single by Iron Maiden

"The Evil That Men Do" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It is the band's seventeenth single and the second from their seventh studio album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988). The single debuted at number six in the UK charts and quickly rose to number five. The single's B-sides are re-recordings of "Prowler" and "Charlotte the Harlot" which appear as tracks number one and seven/eight respectively on the band's debut album Iron Maiden.

<i>Glory Road</i> (Gillan album) 1980 studio album by Gillan

Glory Road is the third studio album by the British hard rock band Gillan, released on 8 August 1980. The album reached No. 3 in the UK album charts.

<i>Head On</i> (Samson album) 1980 studio album by Samson

Head On is the second studio album by British heavy metal band Samson, released in 1980. The cover art features the band's masked drummer, Thunderstick. This is the first album with future Iron Maiden-frontman Bruce Dickinson on vocal duties, although some later re-issues of the debut do feature alternative bonus versions of songs, re-done with Dickinson vocals.

<i>Survivors</i> (Samson album) 1979 studio album by Samson

Survivors is the debut album by British heavy metal band Samson. It was released in 1979 and, although vocalist Bruce Dickinson appears as a band member on the cover sheet, the album was completed before he joined the band, with guitarist Paul Samson on vocal duty. The re-issue on CD of the album features seven bonus tracks with Dickinson singing some tracks from the original release.

<i>Live at Reading 81</i> 1990 live album by Samson

Live at Reading '81 was the second live album released by Samson. This was recorded in 1981 at the Reading Festival, with singer Bruce Dickinson, just before he left the band to join Iron Maiden.

<i>Before the Storm</i> (Samson album) 1982 studio album by Samson

Before the Storm is the fourth studio album by British hard rock/heavy metal band Samson, released in 1982. It is the band's first album with vocalist Nicky Moore, who was recruited to replace Bruce Dickinson after Dickinson joined Iron Maiden. The drummer Mel Gaynor was also replaced by Pete Jupp, when Gaynor left to join Simple Minds. The album was included in the three-disc The Polydor Years, issued by Caroline International in 2017. The set also includes their followup album Don't Get Mad, Get Even and a third CD with various B-sides, live and studio rarities.

References

  1. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 28.
  2. Prato, Greg. "Samson - Shock Tactics review". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  3. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 306. ISBN   978-1894959315.
  4. "Interview With Bruce Dickinson - December 1983". Iron Maiden Bulgaria Fan Club. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2013.