Gargoyle

When Hellion singer Ann Boleyn released Gargoyle's self-titled debut album on her New Renaissance label in 1988, she made it clear that the Portland, OR band didn't fit into either the pop-metal/glam metal category or the speed metal/thrash/grindcore category. This underexposed album certainly isn't pop-metal a la Poison, Warrant or Bon Jovi, but it isn't fast enough to be considered thrash or speed metal either. Rather, Gargoyle's consistently melodic style of fantasy metal brings to mind such artists as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ronnie James Dio, King Diamond and Queensryche. Though Gargoyle isn't in a class with those headbangers, the band has an expressive lead vocalist in Tim Lachmann, and the writing is definitely solid on aggressive yet highly melodic items like "Dark Mirror Dream," "Final Victory" and "Out from the Shadows." The most compelling song on the album, however, is "The Burning," which was inspired by the witch trials of the 17th century and describes a young woman about to be burned at the stake in the name of Christianity. This album has long been out of print, but it's worth searching for if you're a fan of 1980s fantasy metal.