'Give 'em the Axe' was not typical of the metal being released in 1984. It was raw and underproduced but still jumped off the turntable packing quite a wallop. When someone originally turned me onto to Lizzy Borden back in 1985, I was excited because I knew with a morbid name like that, this band had to be good, right? Well, I remember picking up the vinyl and throwing it on awaiting the sounds of this newly discovered metal band from LA.

WOW. Not what I expected. It wasn't polished like the Def Leppards or Twisted Sisters of the time. It was faster paced and had an all-together different sound. At first I wasn't sure I liked it since it wasn't familiar like my Motley Crue or Iron Maiden. 'Give 'Em The Axe' was the first release by Lizzy Borden and it was a raw sound from the LA scene. After more listens I became attached to this sound because it was so different.

This sound would improve dramatically by the next record, 'Love You To Pieces', and my fondness for this misfit metal band would grow. The title track would prove to be Lizzy Borden's anthem and with a title like that, "Give 'Em The Axe", it only made sense. This opening track would also introduce Lizzy's incredible voice which was exemplified on "Kiss of Death" and on his cover of Rainbow's "Long Live Rock N Roll" ("Lizzy Borden" was also the name of the lead singer as well as the band not unlike Marilyn Manson today).

There was nothing spectacular about the music really but what made these songs fun to listen to was that Lizzy Borden took his material seriously. My favorite track is "No Time To Lose" which has a great early 80's metal hook and moves fast with band's dual guitar harmonies and pounding beat. The song starts out, "Burning red thunder, the spell that you're under is a curse of the times, A lover a leaver unfaithful deceiver, Your heartache is just in your mind" Even in that early tune, Lizzy created lyrics that sounded rhythmic without the music, something he was great at.

The 'Give 'Em The Axe' EP was included on the CD re-release of 'Love You To Pieces' as bonus tracks and I'm not sure if it ever came out on CD by itself but it's a nice sample of early, unrefined 80's metal. If you like any of Lizzy's later work and haven't checked this out, do so. It's hard for me to compare it to anything because at the time it really didn't sound like anything I had heard in terms of metal. I recommend it to fans of early 80's metal and if you can find it, you may just like it!

Track Listing:
1. Give 'Em The Axe
2. Kiss of Death
3. No Time To Lose
4. Long Live Rock N Roll



Recommended: Yes