Grim Reaper
The Grimm Chronicles 1983-1987 (3CD-Set)

Having achieved popularity in their hometown, the band made a breakthrough in 1981, recording a demo Bleed 'em Dry with drummer Adrian Jacques, the song "The Reaper" from which ended up on the Heavy Metal Heroes compilation. Thanks to Bowcott's excellent playing style and Grimmett's well-trained vocals, the band caught the attention of the owner of the recording company Ebony Records. After listening to three tracks by Grim Reaper, recorded at a competition of local bands, where the band eventually won, he offered the band a contract with his company. The band's debut album, See You in Hell, recorded in just four days, was released on this label in the summer of 1984 and became the musicians' best work. This time Mark Simon sat behind the drums. The disc contained eight tough, but melodic compositions with near-occult lyrics, of which the title track stood out. A video was filmed for the song "See You in Hell", which was put into rotation on MTV. In August, the album broke into the charts, reaching 73rd place in Billboard. The album sold quite well, which was also facilitated by the tour that Grim Reaper organized in its support. The band received positive reviews in the press, and a music critic from the Los Angeles Times put the band at number one on the "Heavy Metal Meter" scale. In 1985, the band released their second full-length album, Fear No Evil, also with Mark Simon as a drummer. The lyrical themes remained the same, however, the album had some success. The album hit the charts, which was probably facilitated by the video filmed for the song "Fear No Evil". Legal proceedings with the record company delayed the release of the next album for two years. The band's third album, Rock You to Hell, with Lee Harris on drums, was released in 1987. However, time was lost, the public's preferences shifted towards heavier genres such as thrash metal and speed metal. Even though the album contained quite good compositions such as "You'll Wish That You Were Never Born" and "When Heaven Comes Down", and video clips were filmed for them, the sales of the disc were not very large, and as a result, the contract with the label was lost. In 1988, Grim Reaper prepared a demo for the release of a new album, called Nothing Whatsoever To Do With Hell. [1] The album being prepared had 15 tracks, two of which were covers, Thin Lizzy - Cold Sweat and Diamond Head - Call Me. However, due to problems with the label, the new album was never released. In the same year, it was announced that Grim Reaper would disband. In 1999, the compilation The Best of Grim Reaper was released. In 2006, it was announced that the band would be reunited with the "original" line-up, but without Bowcott.

Absolutely amazing box set containing the first three Grim Reaper albums from their golden era. Sadly, Steve passed away recently, so this box set has a sentimental value too. Recommended for all fans of classic heavy metal sound and great vocals. See you in hell, Steve!