Resurrection

Early records of the heavy metal civilization talk about the existence of a band called Quartz, but only in hushed whispers that might be misinterpreted snores. Apparently, they were a band, and that's where the bulk of our information ends. Well, it also states that they all looked like stand-in members for a Simon and Garfunkel tribute band, but that's not particularly relevant. In all seriousness, the band was originally named Bandylegs. Doesn't that suffice as a review in and of itself? I mean, it lets you know exactly where the band is coming from.

From what I can tell, Quartz is a band that is only known now because they sort of stumbled into a role as third-string NWOBHM could-have-beens; frankly, listening to the material on "Resurrection," I'd say their labeling as NWOBHM has more to do with being in the right place at the right time than having much to do with Maiden. Regardless of what they may or may not fall into genrewise, it makes sense that as of today, the band has been all but forgotten to the footnotes of rock history; no one can really suggest that at any point Quartz pushed music forward or came up with a unique sound; in general, they follow the well-trod steps of other '70s and '80s rock/metal bands, with Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple being omnipresent influences alongside the more elder strains of Led Zeppelin in the music's more bluesy, wandering moments. It sounds a great deal like something my dad would play air guitar to.

"Resurrection" is ostensibly a compilation of something, which may or may not be true since I don't have my copy at hand and I'm not nearly interested enough in this music to bother researching. Most of it, though, sounds like it's taken from live performances, which I would like to say is the right way to hear Quartz, but doesn't really seem to be; apart from the unsurprisingly empty, flaccid production, the performances don't seem to carry a lot of conviction behind them. Unsurprisingly, all the material on this record is pretty painfully dated; not only is this outstripped in intensity and complexity by many of its NWOBHM compatriots, Quartz doesn't really step up to the plate much in the rock field either, with most of the tracks coming off as overlong setups for guitar solos which themselves lack personality and distinctive flavor.

It's hard for me to judge this stuff too harshly since it's so naturally outside of what I would ever listen to on my own, but that being said, it doesn't appear to me that Quartz ever had a whole hell of a lot going for them. "Resurrection," at least, doesn't leave me very convinced. Granted, this is a 1996 Metal Blade release, so take it with a grain of salt, but bear in mind that not every forgotten relic of the NWOBHM is a hidden gem. Many were forgotten for a reason.