Anyone with surface level knowledge of underground US metal is aware of Talas. The band, best known for featuring a young Billy Sheehan, released two studio albums and a live album before fizzling out somewhere around 1985. Of course, we all know what happened from there. Sheehan went on to become a world renowned bassist, playing with the likes of David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and The Winery Dogs, to name but a few. As each year passed, Talas became more and more a distant memory, kept alive by the spirits and record collections of denim and leather clad headbangers such as myself…until now.
Nearly 40 years since we last heard from Talas, Sheehan has regrouped the band for their long awaited fourth album, the appropriately titled 1985. Joining him on this endeavor are classic members Mark Miller on drums and the now unfortunately deceased Phil Naro on vocals, as well as guitarist Kire Najdovski. Together, the group have cranked out a collection of songs that, had they seen the light of day back then, would’ve gone over tremendously. Yet here and now in 2022, I’ll argue that these songs go over even more tremendously than they would’ve back then. Why? Because in an era where every band is trying to sound like they’re from 1985, it’s refreshing to hear a collection of songs actually written in 1985, recorded by guys who lived it.
Now this isn’t to say there aren’t newer traditional metal bands out there who have caught my attention (Traveler anyone?). It’s just saying that the songs that make up 1985 come off as a lot more genuine than most of the traditional metal revivalists who flood my inbox. There’s a wide array of approaches on here, albeit strictly within the traditional metal and hard rock realm. You’ve got your fast and ferocious headbangers in “I’ll Take the Night” and a rerecording of “Inner Mounting Flame”. AOR hooks and slick vocal harmonies prevail on “Crystal Clear” and “Come When You Call”. And then there’s cuts like “Don’t Try to Stop Me Tonight” and “The Power to Break Away”, which boast the swagger and gallop of fellow 80s peers Y&T and Vandenberg.
As great as the songs that make up 1985 are from a songwriting perspective, the exemplary performances and retro production are what elevate them to the next level. Miller can still blast away on his double bass drums like it’s a Saturday night at L’Amours in 1983. Najdovski’s riffs and solos embody the radiance of classic 80s metal, and Sheehan’s dominant bass lines remain identifiable as ever. Rounding it all out is Naro, who despite facing terminal throat cancer, delivered the performance of a lifetime. If you prefer your lead singers/screamers to be boisterous, larger than life, and soulful à la Steve Marriott, you’ll be all over this album.
1985 is more than a comeback album. It’s a victory lap and a “thank you” to who everyone who believed in them, and there were many. Hell, there still are, otherwise I and other webzines wouldn’t be reviewing this album. Although Talas’s future remains uncertain, their legacy as one of America’s finest underground purveyors of hard and heavy music is cemented for all eternity, and solidified on 1985. To the naysayers, I say “Sink Your Teeth Into That”!
7 out of 10
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Y&T, Michael Schenker Group, Vandenberg