In recent days, the 1993 debut and self titled album from Arcade found it’s way into my ears. (Thank you Best Metal Buddy Scott). Epic Records released this Arcade debut. You all should be quite familiar with Arcade’s front man Stephen Pearcy… lead singer for RATT and very much a prominent, memorable and flamboyant Hair Metal figure from the 1980’s. Fred Coury, the drummer for still another iconic 1980’s Hair Metal juggernaut – Cinderella, found that one of his Heavy Metal path’s led to Arcade as well. Hair Metal and Glam Metal aside, Arcade was just damn good Heavy Metal – period. In my Metal opinion, if Arcade was to have been assembled around 1985, (instead of the gray lined early ’90’s), they would have had their likenesses adorning highway billboards – all over North America. O.k., that might be of a Metal stretch, nonetheless, Arcade would easily have been bigger and more widely received during an earlier era. Revisiting Heavy Metal Bands from the past that are no longer together, makes for the credibility of just where Heavy Metal is today… these are the bands and musicians that kept the Metal flame burning during a ’90’s decade of Heavy Metal uncertainty. I was never uncertain about my beloved Heavy Metal during the ’90’s… and by the sounds of it, neither was Stephen Pearcy and Arcade.
What this debut album from Arcade shows me, is that Stephen Pearcy acknowledged within himself, that he had all the Metal ingredients and creativity to be a star outside of RATT. And certainly, I would hope the majority of us Metalheads know that RATT was no fluke, their heavy legacy still reigns to this very day. For Stephen Pearcy to be the lead vocalist for two bands of this quality and caliber is not an everyday accomplishment. Essentially, the same can be Metal said for Fred Coury respecively, on drums. Guitarists Donny Syracuse and Frankie Wilsex add credence to Arcade’s own Heavy Metal identity. The only reminder of RATT within the sound of Arcade is Stephen Pearcy’s vocals and he CANNOT be faulted for that.
It sounds very clear to me, that Stephen Pearcy and his Heavy Metal posse called Arcade, knew all along, just how to create and write a ballad. Cry No More, Mother Blues and So Good… So Bad… are extremely tolerable ballads to listen to. I can actually listen to these three ballads repeatedly! (Now, listening to any ballad repeatedly is a rarity in my Metal world). Arcade actually found that semi sappy to sappy lyrics don’t need to be coupled with excessively sappy music, that brings you to the brink of an emotional meltdown. I will admit, Cry No More has an acoustic guitar intro that carries on a very reminiscent tone and mood from Cinderella’s classic Power Ballad – Nobody’s Fool. Mother Blues is an unplugged/acoustic listen in Rock goodness, it really is. Sons And Daughters is the lone instrumental on Arcade. An acoustic instrumental that lends itself as the perfect segue to Mother Blues.
Arcade is one of those albums where it is obviously nonsensical to breakdown each song as a review. Those who have listened and liked this album may understand my point. Outside of the three ballads and one instrumental previously mentioned, the other eight songs are undisputed Rockers. If you are looking to revisit these songs or give them a first time listen, understand that the hard and heavy from Arcade doesn’t give me a moments break… and I like that! I try to steer away from pinpointing what exact genre Arcade belongs to… at the end of the Metal day does it really matter? Arcade is Hard Rock colliding with Heavy Metal, whatever one’s interpretation that differs from mine is a matter of personal Metal labeling.
From the onset, Dancin’ With The Angels is fair warning that Stephen Pearcy and Arcade are NOT about re-treading RATT. Messed Up World is my favorite song from Arcade. The lyrics of Messed Up World could not resonate any more loud and true for me. Relevance? This song is exploding at the Metal seams with it. Messed Up World could have easily been written for today’s nightly news features.
Arcade… they came, they saw, they Metal conquered.
ARCADE, as they appeared on their 1993 debut album:
Stephen Pearcy – lead vocalist
Donny Syracuse – guitarist
Frankie Wilsex – guitarist
Michael Andrews – bass guitarist
Fred Coury – drummer
The Track Listing For Arcade:
Dancin’ With The Angels
Nothin’ To Lose
Calm Before The Storm
Cry No More
Screamin’ S.O.S.
Never Goin’ Home
Messed Up World – *(Metal Odyssey Note: My favorite song, man, it’s a good one)
All Shook Up
So Good… So Bad…
Livin’ Dangerously
Sons And Daughters
Mother Blues
* Metal Odyssey’s Metal research has found there is an additional song on the Japanese version of Arcade – Reckless. No, I have never heard this song… yet.
* To the best of Metal Odyssey’s Metal knowledge, Arcade’s debut album – Arcade is out of print. Used copies are circulating for sale all around the world wide web. (I’ve seen used copies on Amazon Music).

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Why I feel KISS gave Rock n’ Roll back to America and other KISS points too
Posted in 1970's classic rock albums, 1970's classic rock bands, 1970's classic rock songs, 1970's hard rock bands, 1970's hard rock, 1970's heavy metal, 1970's heavy metal albums, 1970's heavy metal music, 1970's Rock, 1970's rock music, 1980's classic rock bands, 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's classic rock, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1990's heavy metal bands, classic hard rock, classic hard rock bands, classic hard rock music, classic heavy metal albums, classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, classic rock songs, current heavy metal music, essential classic rock albums, essential heavy metal albums, Gene Simmons, glam metal music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands this decade, heavy metal memorabilia, heavy metal music, heavy metal this decade, Metal, metal music, metal music today, metal odyssey, Music, old school heavy metal, Rock, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock and roll hall of fame complaints, rock music, rock music commentary, vintage hard rock albums, vintage heavy metal albums, vintage heavy metal bands with tags 1970's classic rock music, 1970's hard rock music, 1970's heavy metal music, 1970's rock music, 1980's heavy metal bands, ace frehley guitarist, american rock and roll bands, bruce kulick guitarist, classic heavy metal music, classic rock, classic rock music, eric carr drummer, eric singer drummer, gene simmons bass guitarist, Heavy Metal, heavy metal music, history of rock and roll, kiss albums, kiss army, kiss hard rock band, kiss heavy metal band, kiss rock band, mark st. john guitarist, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, paul stanley guitarist, peter criss drummer, rock and roll hall of fame, rock and roll history, rock and roll music roots, rock music, rock n' roll music, roots of rock and roll, the british invasion of rock and roll, tommy thayer guitarist, vinnie vincent guitarist on August 28, 2009 by Metal OdysseyKiss being introduced to the world in 1974 may have had more of an impact than some Rock historians think… The Grateful Dead, with their extremely loyal and abundant following with unmatched touring was American – I will never disagree with this bands unique impact on Rock Music history. However, Kiss was not about peace and love… this was the loudest band in the land Dressed To kill, singing about girls that are Hotter Than Hell, partying, Makin’ Love, God of Thunder, a Love Gun and all things against the norm in ways that were not quite presented before in Rock Music history. What Rock Band from the 1960’s used Pyrotechnics like Kiss? How many Rock musicians could spit up blood and still play the bass and sing? Who used such an elaborate and eye defying stage show before Kiss? Kiss not only made Rock n’ Roll powerful, they (gasp) made it fun and entertaining too. The marketing blitz of items that portrayed the Kiss logo and band were everywhere during the 1970’s… if you look around today, these same items plus new products bearing Kiss are around us. Any Kiss tour during the 1970’s was nothing to ignore, the Kiss Army was never just a fictitious entity… it was and still is real.
After Kiss broke all the Rock n’ Roll rules, more Rock bands than I could ever mention here took their lead and emulated Kiss either musically, with make-up, through stage shows and/or marketing. When I stop to think about it, what other Rock or Heavy Metal Band garnered more media attention during the 1970’s than Kiss? With their all around power of Rock, Kiss let it be known, through their albums, that they were not fooling themselves or the fans all along. Kiss is setting the stage again, ready to unleash their brand new album Sonic Boom onto the masses… October of 2009 should be quite the month in the life of this middle aged Metalhead, for Kiss shall return… giving back their brand of Rock n’ Roll to us all again. That is why, in my Metal opinion, Kiss gave back Rock n’ Roll to America back in 1974, they are now only going to remind us as to why their music lives on.
It is high time for the so called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, to stop playing nonsensical games and induct an American Rock Band that redefined American Rock n’ Roll history through their music and pop culture impact, Kiss over the decades has become an American institution. Since I am on the topic, I could care less about the voting process or who votes at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all I know is that the ignorance is growing by leaps and bounds over there in each passing year of it’s existence. I do have one word of advice for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, (if you can consider this an actual word), DUH? I would guarantee this… more fans will go to this Hall of Fame to see Kiss than than anyone could ever imagine. Once again, this is my Metal opinion and I am steadfast about it.
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