One Night Magic

Less than a year after their slightly disappointing sophomore record Sailing on the Revenge which was their first to be released on a major label, Sabbrabells made a big step forward and finally crafted their very own style on their third release One Night Magic.

The quintet offers liberating speedy heavy metal with occasional calm and melodic sections. The expressive vocals sound much more variable than ever before and have a raw undertone to their melodic approach. The twin guitar work delivers everything one could expect from an excellent heavy metal release from the eighties such as technically stunning chord progressions, loud distortions, melodic leads, gripping riffs and extensive solos. The bass guitar is audible, playful and powerful and sounds perfectly grounded in the vivid production. The drum play is also particularly versatile and meanders easily between mid-tempo passages to fast-paced sections and back again but also convinces with a few spectacular breaks and fills in the right moments.

Even though I prefer the band's debut due to its impressive diversity, one has to admit that One Night Magic sounds more coherent and was on the pulse of its time with a melodic fast-paced heavy metal style that was quite popular back then in the metal scene. Highlights are the energetic, hoarse and raw opener ''Black Iron Horse'', the anthem ''Last Survivor'' with its bumblebee bass guitar sounds and gang shouts, the fast ''Black Hill'' with its excellent guitar work finding the right balance between aggressiveness and melody and the closing psychedelic ballad ''The Mist'' that has a harmonious and relaxing atmosphere after eight heavy metal anthems and a short instrumental opener.

It's a shame the band split up almost immediately following this highly promising release. Had they carried on, they could have had the same success bands like Anthem and Loudness or later on Saber Tiger and Sex Machineguns have achieved. As it is, Sabbrabells remain a very interesting side-note in Japan's extensive history of heavy metal. If you like heavy, speed and thrash metal of the eighties, you should give One Night Magic a chance.