Keel was formed in the wake of Steeler. The Steeler album was released in 1983 and singer Ron
Keel formed the band
Keel the following year.
The band was named after Ron
Keel, who also was the main man regarding song writing and he also produced "Lay Down the Law", which Sharpnel Records released on vinyl in 1984.
The music is Hard Rock with a metal edge. The album sounds a bit dated today.
Keel choose to re-record some of these songs for their next album "The Right to Rock" so already back then
Keel knew that a better production had to follow these songs. Among the songs re-recorded is
Speed Demon - a straight ahead Heavy Metal song. This version is quite primitive with Ron
Keel hitting the high notes, which was the trademark of Heavy Metal in the early 80's.
"Lay Down The Law" was released in 1984 and less than 12 months later
Keel released the follow-up "The Right To Rock" with production by Gene Simmons. "The Right To Rock" was also released on a major label and in the first week sold 90.000, which meant that "Lay Down The Law" wasn't a priority anymore. The CD has been a long sought after gem and in 2008 Shrapnel released "Lay Down the Law" for the first time on CD in a re-mastered version.
The album is essential because it marks the start of
Keel's career. The title track is the best song on the album and cleverly incorporated into album closer; a cover version of Rolling Stones'
Lets Spend the Night Together.
Lay Down the Law is the only track I imagine the band plays when
Keel will perform an exclusive European show at Stockholm Rock Out.
"Law Down the Law" is high octane metal - Potent and full of testosterone, but a bit primitive as well.
Keel will appear at Stockholm Rock Out where they will perform both an acoustic and electric set
Written by
Michael Monday, April 5, 2010
Show all reviews by MichaelRatingsMichael: 5.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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