LEATHER
Shock Waves CD

Jolly Roger Records, jewelcase, re-issue 2023, After being scouted by Mike Varney (Shrapnel records), Leather emerges in the early 1980s with Chastain. After releasing five celebrated metal records with the band ("Mystery of Illusion" 1985, "Ruler of the Wasteland" 1986, "The 7th of Never" 1987, "The Voice of the Cult" 1988, "For Those Who Dare" 1990) and one solo-album ("Shock Waves" 1989), Leather re-emerges again in the 2000's alongside David T. Chastain to release two new albums, "Surrender to no One" (2013) and "We bleed Metal" (2015) again under the Chastain monicker. Then Leather focuses on her "solo" career, resulting in widely successful South American and European tours and in the releases of two new albums entitled "Leather II" (2018) and "We Are The Chosen"(2022). Back on her first solo album "Shock Waves", line-up is completed by bassist David Harbour (in Chastain "For Those Who Dare", in several David T. Chastain’s solo albums and in King Diamond’s 2000's "House of God"), by drummer John Luke Hebert (in Chastain 1990 album too and with King Diamond in 1998’s "Voodoo" and 2000's "House of God") and guitarist Michael Harris, who has enjoyed a very good solo career and a lot of productivity with the band Arch Rival. Comparing this record to the previous Chastain albums with Leather, especially if you consider that the band’s main songwriter and guitarist, David T. Chastain, works as producer and writes many lyrics and music on the album, surely you will catch some similarities with "Ruler of the Wasteland" or "The Voice of the Cult", but the reality is that this sounds more like a traditional Heavy Metal album of the time and much more in line with the Dio influences that have been important part of Leather’s entire career. To mention that title-track music and lyrics are written by Mark Shelton (Manilla Road) and music for "All Your Neon" and "Something in This Life" by Pat O' Brien, later in Cannibal Corpse and Nevermore.