Stephen
Probably never in any metal fan mind back then that Hank Sherman will built such a band that's quite far from his metal days to accommodate the needs for hard rock/AOR thirst, but Fate eventually was born and I was glad he did it as throughout their career, Fate had done numerous killer songs and some of them were here, in this over 25-years old debut.
'Love On The Rox', a corny title but this is such a beautiful melodic rock champion. Definitely one of their best along with 'Rip It Up', perhaps the only track that sounds very metal and also another killer from their catalogue. 'Danger Zone' has that Led Zeppelin 'Rock and Roll' feel, an uptempo racing song with Sherman's wonderful solo on board.
I won't deny there are several low points on this album. 'Victory' is something you can live without, 'Backdoor Man' is a weird new wave-y influenced track, and Bob Lance's drum sound here is sure one of the most horrible thing you ever heard; and 'We're Hot' not much better either. However, those fillers were forgivable with at least two more outstanding tracks here, which is '(She's Got) The Devil Inside', a radio friendly track and 'Do You Want It', a nice uptempo tune with a stunning guitar intro and a brilliant chorus.
Production is disappointing but I've heard that in a recent remastered version, this trouble has been fixed, but I think if you're hunting the value of the songs, that's not a big deal to overcome, or at least, try locating that killer track in their recent Best of compilation, perhaps is another good option to consider. Classic album and a great start of their career!