DESCRIPTION:
Dead On were the thrash band from the 80's that made a name for themselves when their song "Different Breed" appeared on the popular soundtrack to the 1990 Wes Craven horror film "Shocker" along with Megadeth, Alice Cooper and Kiss's Paul Stanley.

By the time that Dead On's self titled CD was released in 1989, the scene was saturated with thrash bands. Major labels were signing any band that even resembled Metallica, Megadeth or Anthrax. Dead On were one of the "lucky" bands to score a deal with a label. Like many of the bands from the 80's thrash scene, the band's sound is a combination of classic metal, the whole NWOBHM vibe and the punk attitude. However, unlike many bands that were labeled thrash at the time, Dead On weren't concerned with speed for speed sake. Actually, despite the thrash tag, I see Dead On as musically similar to bands like Metal Church and Meliah Rage. The music is mostly fast to mid-paced power metal with tons of groove, hooks and actual riffs. It would be my guess that Judas Priest and Iron Maiden were a big influences on the band's sound.

The opening song, "Salem Girls", is a catchy song about the Salem witch trials. "Different Breed" is actually the song that got me into these guys. I had purchased the Shocker Soundtrack, being a fan of Megadeth and Dangerous Toys. Dead On were a nice, surprise find on that soundtrack. "Different Breed" is a fast paced, speed metal romp complete with raspy vocals that sometimes have a Steven Tyler-esque quality. Other standout cuts are "Beat a Dead Horse", "The Matador's Nightmare", "Different Breed" and the self-titled closing speeder "Dead On". It's a shame this band only released this one full length album, although they did also release a very obscure EP on Mausoleum Records in 1991 before disappearing.