Hunter may not be a readily recognised name, but they released their debut ‘Sign of the Hunter‘ in 1985. A follow-up appeared in 1987 and after that, they split. After personnel changes, 2020 saw a new album, ‘The Return‘ and now they’ve released ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll V.I.P.’ which takes influences from late 70s and 80s metal and presents their take on that era in a familiar yet original way.
Take ‘Hard to Survive’, ‘Demon of the Highway’ and ‘Runaway Ramp’… they could have appeared to great success back then as we get NWOBHM flavours, AC/DC riffing and hints of Southern rock that all work well and very professionally delivered by the band.
Only on ‘Who Needs the Devil (When You’re Already in Hell)’ do they risk the “copy” label as this is so Acca Dacca (Bon era) it is easy to dismiss but, importantly, it is also very easy to like. For fond memories of great bands like latter-day Tygers, ‘Black Cat’ hits the nail; the title track has more Angus riffing (and a cowbell!); ‘The Eagles Fly High’ is the crowd-ready rocker with the band showing how original they can be. My favourite, at the moment anyway, is the instrumental closer, ‘The Huntress’: it could be prog with then tempo changes but the melodies and riffs keep it metallic and, like all good instrumentals, it has something to say.
Yes, on first listen, you’ll be tempted to use words like derivative… however, give it a close listen and, despite the valid comparisons, there is an originality and personality that is all Hunter.
Give it a listen.
Rock ’n’ Roll VIP is out now.
