First Cut

First Cut is a splendid album by a really obscure German heavy metal band. I actually own a physical copy of this. I really enjoy this band. I wish more people would know about Rough. The thing is that there was an abundance of German heavy metal bands in the 1980s and Rough did not really catch the attention of the mainstream.

This band is fronted by a female vocalist named Anny Wichardt. She sounds similar to Doro Pesch, but slightly better. She is the best member of the band. Her vocals are outstanding on all of the songs. She starts off with a cool scream in Nightmare. You will find some great harmony with her vocals and the instruments on here and the other songs. The guitarist uses a really good guitar tone and he knows how to perform guitar solos. The drums are mid-paced and there’s really nothing special about them. It’s the kind of drumming you would expect during the eighties. Keyboards are used in the songs, but they’re not over the top.

There’s some really catchy and infectious songs. They are Rock the Gates of Heaven, Just Friends, She’s a Killer and The World Is on Fire. Rock the Gates of Heaven has some great guitar riffs and vocal harmonies in the verses. Just Friends has a super catchy chorus and it’s easily one of the most memorable songs on the album. She’s a Killer has a catchy chorus as well and it. The World Is on Fire has cool synthesizer sounds that are not cheesy at all. Rock Until You Drop is a great anthem song. Restless Kind is okay, but it’s the least memorable track on the album.

Shout It Out has an incredible guitar solo. The guitarist really knows how to play super fast. It has a catchy chorus too. It is too bad that he’s not as well known like Michael Angelo Batio. Tonight features super cheesy sounding synthesized sounds in the beginning, but it gets better. It is a good closing track.

This is an outstanding album. It is totally hidden gem from the eighties. It was mixed extremely well and it’s totally an album you would want to listen to over and over. I highly recommend this song. You will not be disappointed if you are a fan of Warlock and Doro Pesch. I am surprised that this album didn’t get that much attention back then. It is too bad First Cut is probably the last cut by Rough.