• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Stand of Fall is legendary NWOBHM guitarist Paul Gaskin's self-titled band's 2000 "comeback" album and will be released in early 2010, on vinyl, by High Roller Records. Like most of the NWOBHM bands, Gaskin (the band) has a checkered past with a multitude of lineup changes and record labels. Stand or Fall had apparently sat around since the early 90s before seeing the light of day in 2000.

Stand or Fall has a very dated sound, as you might expect, but as a fan of the NWOBHM, I was really excited to check it out. That dated sound actually enhances a lot of those performances, giving it that "raw" sound. The album starts out with the killer "The Man is Back," an up tempo rocker with a crisp riff and a vintage solo that never quits. "Tomorrow Today" has the catchiest chorus on Stand or Fall and continues at the same high level as the opener with its slightly more commercial riff. Unfortunately, after the first couple of tracks, Stand of Fall descends into a mid-paced morass of recycled riffs and clichéd lyrics. It's like Paul ran out of ideas and the band became Night Ranger. There are a couple of songs that rise a bit above the rest like the title track or "England, My England" but none touch the first two songs. And the ballad "Still in Love" is just awful. It will have you wishing "Sister Christian" would come on next.

After hearing so much about Gaskin (the band and the man), I was pretty excited to hear Stand or Fall, but was ultimately disappointed. There is nothing here any fan of NWOBHM hasn't heard before so this vinyl re-release is for Gaskin completists and NWOBHM fanatics only.