Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. A couple weeks ago, right before the site went on a temporary hiatus, the metal community was dealt a devastating blow. Steve Grimmett, legendary vocalist for Chateaux, Onslaught, Lionsheart, and most famously Grim Reaper, passed away at the age of 62. Despite some health issues in his later years that resulted in one of his legs being amputated, Grimmett was healthy and active, performing live as recent as this past spring. What makes Grimmett’s passing even more tragic is that he was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. I should know.
Back when I was in high school, I had the honor of seeing Grim Reaper live and hanging with Grimmett for a little while. I told him I was an aspiring metal singer myself, and remember singing some early Great White song for him (I can’t remember if it was “Out of the Night” or “Stick It”). He told me I had “serious potential” and signed my copy of the album we’re revisiting today, See You in Hell. It was an all too brief moment, but one I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. This week’s essay goes out to Steve. Thank you for all the amazing music, “my friend”.
Contrary to popular belief, Steve Grimmett was not a founding member of Grim Reaper. It’s nothing short of ironic that he ended up fronting such an aptly named band. No, Grim Reaper was formed in 1979 by guitarist Nick Bowcott. The band’s lineup in these early years was more or less a revolving door, managing to put out a demo in 1981 entitled Bleed ‘Em Dry. A cut off this demo entitled “The Reaper” even made it onto the legendary Heavy Metal Heroes compilation. For bare bones NWOBHM, it’s OK, but nothing to write home about. The band did not have that extra sizzle to put them over the top…not until 1982, that is.
With a new year came a new demo and new singer. Grimmett joined the band just in time for their aptly titled For Demonstration Only (1982) demo. While they were still finding their way musically, Grimmett’s voice was a vast improvement from the middle of the road stylings of original singer Paul DeMercado. Come 1983, the band re-released this demo with some new tracks: “See You in Hell”, “Suck It and See”, and “Now or Never”. The strength of these songs led to a deal with Ebony Records, and subsequently, a US distribution deal with RCA.
It wasn’t long before Grim Reaper unleashed their debut full length assault, See You in Hell. While the American edition has a slightly different track listing than the UK release, all of the intended 8 songs remain intact. In other words, it wasn’t one of those scenarios where bands would reserve certain songs as “Japanese bonus exclusives” or what have you (Why was it always Japan who got spoiled with these extras?). No matter how you spin it, See You in Hell is 8 songs and a little over 30 minutes of all killer, no filler traditional metal.
The album’s opening title track speaks for itself. In the nearly 40 years since it was first released, “See You in Hell” has become a metal anthem on par with Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades”. Every headbanger knows every word and is bound to scream along to the chorus on cue. Although not as sinister in delivery as Venom, Witchfynde, or even Angel Witch for that matter, “See You in Hell” combined wicked lyrics with arena friendly hooks in a way that no metal band has since, coming off as a turbocharged successor to similar hellish anthems like Van Halen’s “Runnin’ with the Devil” and AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell”.
While most bands would kill to have a song as legendary as “See You in Hell” in their catalog, Grim Reaper manages to one-up themselves with “Dead on Arrival”. As far as I’m concerned, this will always be the definitive Grim Reaper song. Yes, I know it’s near impossible to choose just one, but between the melodies, guitar work, and Grimmett’s insane vocal performance, this takes the cake. What’s most insane is not just how high Grimmett’s vocals go on this song, but the power and clarity he maintains throughout. That is some other worldly talent.
“Liar” keeps the party going with just a little under 3 minutes to its name. Originally appearing on the band’s ’82 demo, this final version of the song keeps it concise, blurring the line between verse and chorus and daring legions to scream “LIAR!” in unison. The tale of the unfaithful woman is as old as time itself. The same can be said of Jack the Ripper, a favorite of metal lyricists, on side A’s closer, “Wrath of the Ripper”. While Judas Priest will always hold the #1 spot in the “Jack the Ripper songs” category, Grim Reaper sure gives the Metal Gods a run for their money.
As we flip over to side B, we’re greeted by “Now or Never”, which largely follows the “Liar” formula. No fat to be found here! This is a lean, mean, English metal machine that wastes no time getting down to business. Blink and you’ll miss it. “Run for Your Life” strides the line between heavy and speed metal with its ferocious riffing and explosive drumming. Yet again, Grimmett delivers a flawless vocal performance, chock full of screams that give King Diamond a run for his money. Yes, you read that correctly. The more people who recognize Grimmett as one of the finest metal vocalists ever, the better.
Contrasting the short, sharp shock of “Liar”, “Now or Never”, and “Run for Your Life” is the epic power ballad that is “The Show Must Go On”. Don’t for a second confuse this for a half-assed attempt at tapping the AOR market. “The Show Must Go On” is a brilliantly written, arranged, and performed power ballad that grips your heartstrings. On it, Grimmett croons about a love lost and the past relationship’s subsequent heartbreak. Yet through it all, “The Show Must Go On”. I like to think this masterpiece foreshadowed another breakup power ballad Grimmett sang, but that’s another story for another day.
Closing it all out is the pummeling “All Hell Let Loose”, which attempts to channel the evil of the opening title track, especially when Grimmett screams, “I’M COMING TO GET YOU!!!”, followed by an outburst of devilish laughter. Granted, it’s hard to be afraid of Grim Reaper when even at their darkest, their songs are such singalongs. That was exactly the point. Grim Reaper wasn’t going for the jugular. Whether they were singing about hell or metal or betrayal, they were out to make a catchy song, and they sure succeeded in such.
Although Grim Reaper never “made it” in America the way they should have, they didn’t exactly fall beneath the cracks either. See You in Hell and its follow ups, Fear No Evil (1985) and Rock You to Hell (1987) all performed moderately well, resulting in airplay on MTV and American tours. Just when things were starting to look up, the cruel hand of poor management swept in and a planned fourth album was aborted. Apparently demos of this entire album were recorded and can be heard here.
Following stints in Onslaught and Lionsheart, Grimmett would eventually reform Grim Reaper under the moniker “Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper”. This incarnation of the band would release two killer albums, Walking in the Shadows (2016) and At the Gates (2019), and tour the globe to much fanfare. As much as I can lament over what “could’ve been” for Grim Reaper in the 2020s, I know Steve wouldn’t want me to. He’d want me to be grateful for the music he created; not mourn him, but celebrate him. I’m especially grateful for See You in Hell: A massive album of my high school years and still a favorite to this day. Rest in power Steve.