1427 - Badlands High Wire 1989

Badlands self-titled debut release, is a collection of hard, blues flavored rock, that is raw and laden with emotion. The late Ray Gillen's voice is perfectly suited to the genre, displaying a wide tonal range, in a variety of styles, from all out rockers to slow bluesy ballads. His ability to infuse genuine feeling into the music, is one of the keys to its appeal. Song topics are down to earth, gently influenced by themes from the American frontier. This is music that taps into the roots of blues based hard rock. Beside Gillen's vocal talents, Badlands also features the considerable skills of guitarist Jake E. Lee, the man who came to replace Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osboune's band. Rounding out the band, is a solid rhythm section. Eric Singer energetically handles the drumming duties, and Greg Chaisson mans the bass. The album opens with a furious metallic riff from Jake E. Lee, and the sparks continue to fly throughout the lead cut "High Wire".