As the 90's beckoned, some hair metal rockers adjusted their sound to the new standard. But Kix? Most of their 1995 release sounds like they time-warped back to their 1985 selves to make another album. I call it the most ideal Kix-sounding album to date - every up-tempo track has a catchy hook and has the word "fire" or "ball" or some other crass reference in the title. But there are a couple of strange ballads here, along with an odd funk-rock thing ("I'm Bombed" with its' thuggish "napalm" retort), which ends the album and leaves one with a gritter taste in the mouth than most Kix records.

Before Kix hit the big time with 1988's Blow My Fuse, their inital shot was this record released three years prior, which was every bit as enveloping, but for some reason, completely went under the radar. Produced by glam metal whisperer Beau Hill (producing Ratt's debut was his entry to the big leagues), all of the elements were in place for Kix to follow in their footsteps, but the album did not chart. The AC/DC-like stomp of the title track sets the tone, there is the prerequisite power ballad ("Walkin' Away"), and by and large the group has moved away from the bar room rock and New Wave which they flirted with on the previous album (1983's Cool Kids). However, despite the glut of impactful tunes, you get the feeling the band has not completely gelled. And Steve Whiteman's screaming mug on the cover surely had to switch a lot of people off, right? Still, it's a relatively fun ride.

The Jook were a great almost-made-it story. Some of their songs were either defiantly British ("King Capp") or glam to the point of absurdity ("Bish Bash Bosh"), but there was a streak of unmistakable loyalty to the roots of rock 'n'' roll, which is really brought out here on this double sided single which was released four years after they split up. A 2-disc retrospective of the Jook came out in 2013.

For their third and final studio album of the decade the band reverted back to their original name, and had enough of a reputation to get it produced by Mickie Most. It would seem the elements were in place for a breakthrough, but instead, third time was not the charm. The album itself wasn't a problem, but compared to the first two HMK releases, there were some changes. There is more of a noticeable pop feel to these tracks, and along with it even more of a "don't-give-a-crap" sentiment from Holton which really contrasts with the professional sheen of the project. The first side most resembles the previous record with the rambling "From Heaven to Hell & Back Again" and emotional ballad "Cry for Me". But the second side is more ambiguous, even though it starts strongly on the pop-rocker "She's No Angel". By the time you finish the murky tour tale of "Squalliday Inn" you begin to wonder what was left for them to stand on. Many later editions include the single "Delirious" and its B-side "Hey Little Girl"; the former is a great aggro-punk style song.

If just one or two things had happened differently we might be talking about the Heavy Metal Kids as one of the most important bands of the 70's. In the very least, when you hear a song of theirs, you begin to understand that the nihilism of punk rock wasn't that far removed from other colorful movements of the decade, like art, prog, and even pop. The oddly-named Heavy Metal Kids (their actual music had little to do with Heavy Metal) were formed from the remnants of two failed prog groups, with the name being much more of a homage to the UK's early 70's twisted gang culture partly inspired by the movie A Clockwork Orange. After a great first album (which fell flat commercially) they rebranded themselves as "The Kids" for their second album, which is just as good, if not better than their debut. Tough, ballsy rockers like "Hard at the Top", "On The Street", and "Blue Eyed Boy" both wear their influences on their sleeve and far surpass them. Slower, more sensitive affairs like "Situations Outta Control" and "The Big Fire" are both desperate and magnetic. Lead vocalist Gary Holton is an obvious star, portraying himself as a tragic, manic figure throughout - yet, like the debut, this album would not find a mass audience, either.