Lizzy Borden released their first live album less than a year after 1985's 'Love You To Pieces' LP, which was their only full-length effort under their belt. Most bands wait until they've got an extensive back catalog before making a live record, but Lizzy Borden wasn't "most bands". So all of Lizzy Borden's tunes up to this point in their young career are featured on this double-vinyl/single CD set (except "Long Live Rock N Roll").

For more on those tunes, check out my epinions for 'Give 'Em The Axe' (their debut EP) and 'Love You To Pieces'. I'd only be repeating myself here since you'll find all the tracks from those two albums faithfully reproduced live on 'Murderess Metal Road Show'. Instead, I'll cover the high points of this fine live recording you won't find on those studio albums. One notable fact: this show was taped live on Friday, December 13th, 1985 in the Los Angeles area, Lizzy's stomping grounds.

The live recording is very good for a still up-and-coming metal act of the early 80's. Lizzy Borden didn't benefit from regular radio rotation; it was all in the music and word of mouth. In my Midwestern hometown, I knew all the people that were into Lizzy Borden b/c I was the one who introduced them to the music! The production is a little thin but I expect that and it's stated that they did little if any tooling around with the sound; they wanted an accurate reproduction of the events that occurred that night.

Unfortunately, the live album cannot capture the theatrics Lizzy instills into his live performance. You won't see Lizzy prowling around onstage and working the audience into a fervor. You won't see the gruesome special effects and stage props provided particularly for this event. And, sadly,you won't see Lizzy Borden reprising some of the characters in his songs and acting them out onstage. Fortunately, there was a live video of this show released the same time as the double vinyl set, but I failed to get it at the time. That would be a terrific show to have on video!

Also included is a poignant rendition of the McCartney classic, "Live And Let Die", which Lizzy's vocals really excel. Missing from the CD version, which was released in 1995, are the drum solo before "Red Rum" and the bass solo before "Psychopath" which serves as a great introduction to that 'stalker-on-the-loose' track. The CD clocks in at 69 minutes so there was room for one of those but neither show up. Two new studio tracks are added at the end of the live set; both are excellent. "(Wake Up) Time To Die" is a catchy track that pays homage to the sci-fi classic, 'Blade Runner'. Overall, this is a great live album which is really a compilation of Lizzy Borden's first two releases with some sweet morsels thrown in to spice it all up.

Whether you picked up the prior two records or not, 'Murderess Metal Road Show' is a great starting point since it highlights the best of what Lizzy Borden was in the mid 80's: a full-on, over-the-top, outrageous metal band. I remember listening to this record during the summer nights of '86 thinking of how cool it would've been to be at this show. All fans of pure 80's metal already own this album on vinyl. If not, what are you waiting for?!

Track Listing:
01. Council For The Caldron
02. Flesheater
03. Warfare
04. No Time To Lose
05. Rod Of Iron
06. Save Me
07. Godiva
08. Psychopath
09. Love You To Pieces
10. Live And Let Die
11. Kiss Of Death
12. Red Rum
13. American Metal
14. Give 'Em The Axe
15. Finale (American Metal Reprise)
16. Dead Serious
17. (Wake Up) Time To Die




Recommended: Yes