Sorry to dig up such an old thread, but I have just had this link forwarded to me and I thought I’d be able to answer a few of the questions, especially about Metal Messiah as I was the vocalist on Honour Among Thieves and the Taste Of Armageddon compilation.
Ok I don't really know where to start so I’ll do a run down of the MM history and that hopefully will answer most of the points raised.
Back in the punk days there was a punk band called the Varukers, Members where:- Rat (vocals), Biff aka Ian Smith (guitar) Graham Kerr (Bass) and Kev Frost (drums). Rat, Biff, Graham and Kev then formed a thrash band called Arbitrator along with a second guitarist, Paul Miles (who later appeared on Nefilim’s Zoon Album). I think at the time Rat was still a bit too Punk rock on the vocals, so he was replaced by Phil Ayling (from Parelex, the Metallica story I believe is true), Grem Darroch replaced PM on guitar and the band changed names to Metal Messiah.
This line up recorded one demo and that earned them a slot on BBC’s Friday Rock Show (which at the time was the only place you could hear metal on the radio, this is England after all). After a while it was felt that Phil’s vocal style didn’t really fit the band and that’s when I was asked to join, I’m Jim by the way.
This line up recorded the “Madman” demo. Half of the track Madman made it onto the Metal Hammer’s Best of British Steel album and another track “Bitch” appeared on another UK thrash compilation.
The band got involved with management and that’s when things started to fall apart. We had plenty of offers to produce an album on an independent label but were told to hang out for a major, at the same time WEA had their hands burned by Slammer’s “Work of Idle Hands” after a big signing and that pretty much killed all hopes of another UK thrash band getting a major deal. Honour Among Thieves was funded by the management and the production and sound left a lot to be desired, which is a shame as the songs were really good, one of our big fans the late Paul Miller from Kerrang, hammered the album in the press and about the same time Biff, Kev and Graham turned back to their punk rock roots.
Biff went on to form Sick On The Bus and still plays from time to time with the reformed Varukers. Arbitrator carried on with Rat and PM but I think they called it a day about the same time as we did.
Still keep thinking about a Metal Messiah reunion and I guess one day it may happen, I would love to do it. I’m still very impressed that you remembered us especially you guys from across the Atlantic.
Cheers
It was good to reminisce
Jim Aspinall
