Other than making one of the finest hard rockin’ albums of the eighties, Q5 were mostly known for having the inventor of the locking tremolo system in their ranks, namely one Floyd Rose. There was one other album after this, When The Mirror Cracked, which didn’t reach the heights of this monster. Then due to fighting within the band, they were done, but they leave behind one of the finest albums of the period.
The album kicks off with the heavy, Missing In Action, with its fast paced groove and great riff and solo. Lonely Lady is a lot more melodic with the hook and chorus, but the riff and groove is very Maiden with it’s gallop. The title track is up next and starts with some spacey guitar, before we settle into that slow chugga riff. I love the hook and chorus on this one! The close out track on Side 1, Pull The Trigger, is my favourite on the album. It’s full of big riffs, and with the anthemic vocal, it’s a nailed on winner.
Side 2 kicks in with the very AC/DC style riff of Ain’t No Way To Treat A Lady. A great fun tune that should have you up and groovin’. In The Night feels a bit Sabbath with the start up riff and is quite a slow paced tune. Come And Gone is corny ballad city, and other than the solo, it’s meh. Rock On has a very dirty sleazy riff and groove. Then the album closes out with Teenage Runaway, and it’s another fun AC/DC style romp. It’s a shame they never made it of the starting gate, as they were a decent band.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
