END OF THE DAY (12")

This Atomic Rooster EP is unfortunately overlooked and under the radar for a lot of fans of the group, and that is definitely a mistake-for fans of the classic period of the band, this record is a dream come true.

In 1980, Atomic Rooster, now with guitarist John du Cann back in the fold, released an exciting album known as "Atomic Rooster 80", and it was a great hard rocking effort, exhibiting that no holds barred Rooster sound akin in some ways to the Death Walks Behind You music. It was not really that promoted or known by fans, with the result a vote mainly of indifference. While a group like Budgie rode the tide of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal in a successful way, AR did not, perhaps even though they had a hard rocking side to their sound, their credentials were more progressive than Budgie, and with the result that fans did not turn out in droves to see them in the early 80s during the UK heavy metal upsurge.

An unfortunate misconception is that Rooster, as the eighties progressed, were at a low ebb, musically, perhaps because their weakest effort, 83's Headline News album, was the one that was on the radar for a lot of people. In between 1980 and 1983, the band produced a couple of EPs on Polydor, the second of which is End Of The Day from 1982.

The result is a totally different sound than Headline News, and even an improvement on the 1980 album. End Of The Day has three songs, and for the first time on record again is the lineup that produced the Death Walks Behind You album, Crane, du Cann, and Paul Hammond (but with guest bassist Big John McCoy added). For fans of the classic Death Walks sound, this EP has everything you could wish for-an exciting, gutsy groove, Du Cann and Crane playing together, and playing off each other in that inimitable Rooster fashion with Hammond's heavy drum beat in the background. Du Cann does the vocals in that no holds barred way of his that is so infectious and keeps you glued to the song at hand.

After side one's End Of The Day track is side two's Living Underground, and a real treat, a new recording of the classic Rooster hit Tomorrow Night- the band are in such fine form, and rock your socks off in the process!

This is everything appealing about Atomic Rooster, but with an updated, improved production, though never loosing that gutsy, in your face appeal. A perfect record for those who think the band had lost it's way in later times, and once you hear this, i guarantee you will have found your way! Five stars