This is another request here, the Escape Music reissue version of STATETROOPER‘s self-titled album Remastered plus bonus tracks. Statetrooper was the band founded by excellent British vocalist Gary Barden following his final dismissal from the Michael Schenker Group in late 1984.
After a few fits and starts in terms of line-up, Statetrooper was rounded out by former members of the recently disbanded melodic rock act Wildfire: guitarists Jeff Summers and Martin Bushell, bassist Jeff Brown, and drummer Bruce Bisland.
Keyboardist Steve Glover provided the final piece of the puzzle as the band entered the studio for 1985’s She Got the Look EP (on Neat Records). A deal fo a full album arrived via the legendary FM Records, and “Statetrooper” was finally released in UK. There was also a Belgian edition but via a small label, but nothing more, so the LP became a collectors piece soon.
The overall sound & style here is Melodic Hard Rock / AOR with that typical, unmistakable mid-80s Bristish flavor, rich in harmonies and keyboard flurries. Think a mix of Tobruk, Airrace and a bit of Heavy Pettin’s edge.
There’s pretty awesome tunes here such as “Shape Of Things To Come” driven by sharp guitar riffs and stabbing keyboards or the extremely catchy “She Got The Look”, mixed with harder rockers such as the six-string layered “Set Fire To The Night” or the killer “Veni Vidi Vinci”.
Over the tight instrumentation, Gary Barden’s pipes are fantastic, fuller, plenty of power and melody. “Statetrooper” finds Gary at his best. To complete the original LP release, the band added two tracks recorded live at The Marquee Club in London, including a terrific version of MSG’s classic “Armed And Ready”.
This remastered reissue of “Statetrooper” add several bonus tracks (some previously unreleased), being my favorite the melodic rocker “How Does It Feel”. The rest are pre-production takes and more songs captured at The Marquee.
After the release of “Statetrooper”, guitarist Martin Bushell departed, and though his short-lived replacement by none other than former Thin Lizzy / Wild Horses guitarist Brian Robertson generated some much needed positive hype for Statetrooper, they would eventually collapse barely a year later.
“Statetrooper” is a superb exponent of the effervescent mid-Eighties British Melodic Hard Rock / AOR scene. A cult album you need to discover.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 - Shape Of Things To Come
02 - Set Fire To The Night
03 - Dreams Of The Painful
04 - Stand Me Up
05 - Veni Vidi Vinci
06 - Last Stop To Heaven
07 - She Got The Look
08 - Too Late (Live)
09 - Armed And Ready
BONUS TRACKS:
10 - How Does It Fell [Previously Unreleased]
11 - Juliet
12 - Faster Than Light [Previously Unreleased]
13 - Set Fire To The Night [Live]
14 - She Got The Look [Live]
15 - Too Late [Live]
Vocals – Gary Barden
Guitar – Jeff Summers, Martin Bushell
Keyboards – Steve Glover
Bass – Jeff Brown
Drums – Bruce Bisland
STATETROOPER – Statetrooper [Digitally Remastered +6 bonus] 2003
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