Blackhearts & Jaded Spades

By 1985, NWOBHM's commercial diving board into an empty concrete pool was well-trodden. Raven and Saxon, among the movement's wisest forefathers, were going off the deep end with Stay Hard and Innocence Is No Excuse. Even the mighty Judas Priest was putting on their shiniest speedo in preparation for the dive, and I apologize for putting that image in your head. In a similar vein, and yielding roughly the same amount of ire from fans, is Tokyo Blade's swan dive into forgettable glam fluff by the highly questionable name Blackhearts and Jaded Spades.

It may surprise you, but some of these tracks aren't as tasteless and embarrassing as the album cover. I'd even go so far as to say this album "has its moments", in equal part thanks to returning Night of the Blade vocalist being a genuinely talented singer, and the dependable riff-craft from veteran guitar samurais not quite abandoning their trademark sound just yet. Most of the B Side is fueled by incandescent leads reminiscent of those found in Night of the Blade, specifically the mid-tempo cruisers 'Playroom of Poison Dreams' and the title track. You'll often find a spicy solo hidden somewhere in even the album's most venal filler, like 'Undercover Honeymoon'. It's admirable to see this band make an attempt to inject exciting setpieces into songs, no matter the backdrop. Unfortunately, the backdrop is mostly schlock inspired by the mystifying success of Dokken and Def Leppard, making the sparkling solos often sound self-indulgent and out of place.

Despite trying to cram itself down the individuality-deprived bottleneck of LA hair metal, Blackhearts ended up sounding very lost. 'Tough Guys Tumble' boasts catchy hooks that sound like natural extensions of their craft from Midnight Rendezvous, and even some of Saxon's early work, yet features a salvo of harmonized cheese for the chorus. Attempts at commercial viability seem misbegotten on an album like this, and this is epitomized by the grim-faced pageant of truly wretched love ballads. 'You Are the Heart' and 'Dancing in Blue Moonlight' are among the most sweetest "nothings" I've ever heard a NWOBHM band whisper, replete with cheap 80's synthesizers rubbing salt in the wounds. And thus, when you take away its great title track... (that's a total ripoff of Maiden's 'Prowler' anyway), we're left with a spotty album that placed far too much stock on mainstream appeal. Another brick in the crumbling wall of mid-80's NWOBHM.