Surprise - Well Fixed Man 1987 German Xian AOR

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Surprise

Shine On

1987 (no label)

Giessen, Germany



Uwe Bott – Acoustic and e-drums

Wolfgang Mattes – Bass guitar

Manfred Herr – E-guitar

Thomas Pottek – E-guitar, vocals, keyboards on “King Alcohol”

Matthias Damm – Keyboards, vocals



Side 1:

Well Fixed Man

Ruhelos

Time is Near

Who am I?

Gewaltherrschaft

Horrorskop

Try to Believe



Side 2:

King Alcohol

Lett Me Burn

Shine On

Machtkampf



This is not the same band from Australia that started off as Surprise Surprise and then ended up releasing a few CDs on Refuge Records. This is a German band that is keyboard rock that sound closer to a slightly lighter version of “Dancing on the Head of the Serpent” by Jerusalem for the whole tape. They are very 80s-influenced – just listen to an 80s night on a classic rock station and you will get a good idea for the sounds on this demo (although songs like “Horrorskop” have some muscle to them… until the saxophone solo pulls it back to the 80s). This demo was recorded live, although most chatter and clapping between the songs has been edited out (sometimes rather abruptly in mid-word). Lyrics seem to go back and forth between German and English. Not a bad demo, and definitely very 80-ish, but it might just be too middle of the road for some. Because of that, some of the songs sound similar-ish.

Xian