Great Metal Albums of 1988: Odin- Fight For Your Life

Here’s an example of not doing my research thoroughly. My first experience of American glam metal band, Odin, came via the Metal Sisters on the compilation tape they sent me for Christmas in 1986. To avoid boring you all with a very long story, I will shorten it down. When I searched for Odin on my normal sources, it revealed that their first full length LP was the “Fight For Your Life” album which came out in 1988. Therefore, I thought the song the Metal Sisters sent me, “Solar Eye,” was a single. It turns out that it was on an EP and I only found this out thanks to the Metal-Archives website. That is a good website for checking out little known metal bands.

When I first heard “Solar Eye” on said tape, I wanted to laugh. Lead singer, “Randy O. Roberg’s, high pitched screams were the reason why. They take away from the rest of the band who sound pretty tight. That desire to laugh followed on when I heard the opening track to this album. However, on the second track, “Love Action,” he dismisses the screams for the most part, they are in the chorus, and sings normally and his voice isn’t bad. Plus, you get to hear the rest of the band more and one ends up wondering which way the rest of the album is going to go.

The third track, “She Was the One” answers the question as it’s a decent power ballad. Randy doesn’t scream and you get to hear the good rhythm section of Aaron Samson and Shawn Duncan as well as the guitar work of Jeff Duncan as he lays down some good guitar fills and rips a short but sweet guitar solo. However, I can only say it’s a decent power ballad because it has an ‘it’s all been done before’ feel to it. On the straight forward rocker, “I Get What I Want,” you are reassured that Randy O. Roberg is definitely done with the screaming and sings normally. A short acoustic instrumental, “Serenade to the Court” follows right after.

The first side ends following on from the instrumental as “Modern Day King” begins with a medieval ballad type feel. However, the song picks up pace and then goes nuclear in the middle. Okay, Randy’s voice does go higher but not to the screams of the opening track and Jeff does lay down a blinder of a solo. It gets my pick for best song on the album. It shows what this band was capable of achieving and though it goes out, some say predictably, as it came in, it still sounds great.

Side two starts with a good power rocker in “Stranger Tonight.” Again, the screams are watered down, which is a good thing and the rhythm section clicks and another good guitar solo. Okay, I’m adding Jeff Duncan to my ever-growing list of underrated guitarists. “Stranger Tonight” is the second best song on the album. Actually, I’m left to draw the conclusion that the second two-thirds of the album is the better part. “Time and Time Again” is another great hard rocker where the Duncans and Aaron are unchained and just rock out. I’m also beginning to think that the singer is the weakest link with the band. That impression shows even more on “I’m Gonna Get You.” Again, it’s the guitar, bass and drums which make the song and there is a little more screaming form Randy which just sounds annoying.

Penultimate track, “Push,” has the good place for Randy’s high pitched screams as it opens the song rather well, followed by some good guitar work. Randy sings most of the song in falsetto and while I won’t call it annoying, it doesn’t help the song either although the good playing does. The closer, which is also the title track, opens with spoken words which at the end tell us to “Fight For Your Life.” It’s an amusing bluesy doom rock track which is a good way to end the album as it all comes together nicely. Even with the falsetto screams and Jeff Duncan saves his best solo for the end. The album has grown on me with each listen and it shows that Odin had potential.

Track Listing:

1. 12 O’clock High
2. Love Action
3. She Was the One
4. I Get What I Want
5. Serenade to the Court
6. Modern Day King
7. Stranger Tonight
8. Time and Time Again
9. I’m Gonna Get You
10. Push
11. Fight For Your Life

Odin

Randy O. Roberg- vocals

Jeff Duncan- guitar

Aaron Samson- bass

Shawn Duncan- drums

This was from 1986 and I’m including it to show the screaming.

The problem with Odin in 1988, they were part of a saturated market. Their sound and image, although I like this album, “Fight For Your Life,” really didn’t offer anything unique back then. It’s still worth listening to today.

Next post: Kuni- Looking For Action

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