As the ’80s American band from Tennessee maned HARD KNOX was requested here and we featured their two albums, it’s proper to present as well the other American hard rock act operating under the name HARD KNOX, but this one hailing from Utah, and formed after the other from TN existed no more.
Drawing from a wide range of influences that spanned from Led Zeppelin and Bad Company, to early AC/DC and the Scorpions, and even further to Fates Warning and Savatage; Salt Lake City, Utah’s HARD KNOX got its start when vocalist Therron Arrington and guitarist Chris Gigliotti began recording early tracks in —of all places— a closet in Chris’ mother’s house.
The quintet grew to achieve local notoriety helped along by opening slots for acts like David Lee Roth, Great White, Mr. Big, Slaughter, and even Pantera (among many others), but after interest from Atlantic Records failed to result in a suitable recording contract, HARD KNOX decided to strike out on their own to self-release a full-length album, ”Psyco’s R Us”, in 1993.
The 10-song CD carried a sound representative of the changing landscape of hard rock at the time: the heavier side of Skid Row meets Mother Love Bone with equal parts Dirty Looks, Dangerous Toys and Kix.
After decades out of print, Divebomb Records released this “Psyco’s R Us ’93 [Deluxe Edition remastered +4]“, including 4 bonus tracks, 3 of them unreleased songs.
The band was a little too late for the Hair Metal / Melodic Hard party, but they rocked like that party was never going to end. Hard Knox played loud, raucous, in your face Hard Rock along the lines of Dirty Looks, Dangerous Toys, Kix and Spread Eagle, but they also threw in a few surprises to keep things interesting.
Hard Knox had that combustible combination of heavy, flamboyant guitars, brash, raspy vocals, and a full-on party rock attitude. Had they released this album just five years earlier, ”Psyco’s R Us” probably would have gotten a lot of love on MTV. That ship had sailed by 1993 though.
Aside from the more somber acoustically mix of “Not So Bad” which would not have been out of place on the first Alice in Chains album, the best tracks on Psyco’s R Us are the brashest rockers. “Feels So Good,” “O.G.A,” Hairy Kari” and “Pushin’” in particular are all high energy, hard hitting hard rock songs.
There are moments in a couple of tracks that bring to mind Mother Love Bone. There’s also a definite Metal edge that gives ”Psyco’s R Us” a Lizzy Borden feel at times.
At the end of the day though, Hard Knox played party Heavy Rock with a first half of the ’90s sound, and they did it really well.
Hard Knox promoted the album by plastering the town with full-size posters to support a continued onslaught of live gigs. However, the hard rockin’, hard partyin’ lifestyle eventually caught up with them, and the band self-destructed before they were able to capitalize on the momentum they had built.
A much sought after CD and now an increasingly rare collector’s item (once cited in VH1’s list of the “100 Rarest Hard Rock CDs”), original copies of the album have sold on eBay for astronomical prices of more than $300.
After years of trying, Divebomb Records finally was able to present this deluxe reissue of ”Psyco’s R Us” including HARD KNOX’s original four-song demo (one track from which also appeared on KBER 101’s The Best of Rock From the Wasatch Front compilation CD) fully remastered by Jamie King at The Basement Studios.
It’s a reissue that looks as good as it sounds, and is going to make a lot of collectors of the ’80s and early ’90s hard rock bands very happy.
Highly Recommended
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TRACK LIST:
1. Freight Train From Hell
2. R.R. Tracks
3. Feels So Good
4. OGA
5. Psyco’s R Us
6. Not So Bad
7. Hairy Kari
8. You’re A Mess
9. Keepin’ Up
10. Pushin’
BONUS TRACKS
11. Don’t Point Your Finger
12. Pushin’ (Demo)
13. Will We Make It (Demo)
14. She Do It For Money (Demo)