Heavy metal was down and out when OCTOBER 31 formed all the way back in 1995. Death metal and black metal were in; heavy metal was for dads that never outgrew their Saxon records, so hopelessly behind the times that they weren’t even worth paying attention to. Enter OCTOBER 31: King Fowley (Deceased) and Brian Williams formed a traditional heavy metal band to help bring the sound and genre back to the forefront of underground music.
Though OCTOBER 31 has become widely known in the decades since for King’s characteristic rough-and-passionate vocal style and sometimes for his drumming, King’s original vision of the band actually called for a five piece with a more melodic and traditional singer behind the mic. That’s where Tony Taylor came in, who is best known as the lead singer on the first few Twisted Tower Dire records as well as the singer for Isen Torr. Though Tony ended up leaving the band a couple years after joining to focus purely on his main band, there was a brief stint from 2000 to 2002 where OCTOBER 31 had Twisted October Dire members bassist Jim Hunter (who remains with OCTOBER 31 to this day), guitarist Scott Waldrop, and Tony Taylor all in their ranks- and that short-lived period was pure magic.
No studio material aside from a single 7” remains from this period of the band, but today Nameless Grave Records is proud to reveal something just as good. Beware Of The Night: Live At The Spotlight is a high-quality live recording taken at the soundboard of a show remastered by Andrew Lee (Ripped To Shreds) and as vicious and ripping as any live album has a right to be! Through the long playtime – which includes a mixture of classic original OCTOBER 31 tunes and killer cult classic covers from bands like Witchkiller, Judas Priest, Saxon, and Grim Reaper – the band is on fire, and you can almost hear yourself screaming along to Tony’s wailing at the Spotlight.
This is a special look at an alternate history where OCTOBER 31 fit King’s original vision of the band: perhaps not better, but certainly welcome as an addition to both OCTOBER 31’s legacy and to the sadly deceased Tony Taylor’s. Featuring more than an hour of music and for the first time the entire 2001 demo that Tony sang, this live CD and anthology is the perfect and ultimate tribute to the greatest heavy metal band in the history of Virginia.
Beware Of The Night: Live At The Spotlight is out now digitally and on CD in a limited run of 500 copies, with a layout and liner notes from King Fowley himself! Simple foldover insert at the band’s request.
Acquire OCTOBER 31’s Beware Of The Night: Live At The Spotlight digitally at Bandcamp HERE and the disc at the Nameless Grave Records webshop HERE.
Beware Of The Night: Live At The Spotlight Track Listing:
1. Salem’s Curse
2. The Chosen One
3. Meet Thy Maker
4. Just An Illusion
5. A Million Goodbyes
6. For There Is War! – Guitar Solo
7. Voyage To Infinity
8. Day Of The Saxons (Witchkiller)
9. The Warlock
10. Rock You To Hell (Grim Reaper)
11. Visions Of The End
12. Electric Eye (Judas Priest)
13. Power And The Glory (Saxon)
14. Voyage To Infinity (Demo 2001)
15. Salem’s Curse (Demo 2001)
16. Electric Eye (Demo 2001) (Judas Priest)
Beware Of The Night: Live At The Spotlight Lineup:
Tony Taylor – vocals
Brian Williams – lead guitar
Scott Waldrop – rhythm guitar
Jim Hunter – bass
King Fowley – drums
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