WIKKYD VIKKER — Black of the Night (review)

WIKKYD VIKKER — Black of the Night album cover Demo · 1983 · NWoBHM Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Certif1ed
Releasing a single on the "Boogie" label, and using the quaint deliberate mis-spellings might lead you to think that Wikkid Vikker were some kind of Spider/Quo clone - but not a jot!

The riff that drives the A-side, "Black of The Night" is a hybrid of UFO's classic "Rock Bottom", until the breakdown about 2 minutes in, clearly influenced by the more progressive sides of the NWoBHM, with some neat Twelfth Night and early Saxon touches.

A glorious guitar solo wails its way spectacularly through a good minute or so - stirring stuff, with all kinds of technical tid-bits, including a few bars of two-handed tapping - not at all predictable (for the time) or boring, but a highly melodic and finely crafted piece of partially progressive metal.

Flip the single, and the B side exceeds the 5 and three quarter minutes of the A side, the introductory riff immediately getting you thinking "Here we go - typical NWoBHM", until the quote from AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock..." around 42 seconds - and then it goes in all kinds of directions simultaneously, with little off-beat guitar stabs providing an exciting angular feel to the music, while smooth vocal harmonies remind you of Journey, with maybe a dash of Van Halen.

A curious mix indeed, and the second verse is eagerly lapped up as we excitedly await the guitar solo.

The music is unaccountably stripped back - a move that makes me feel a little uncomfortable - and the launch into orbit isn't quite as successful as it might be, especially as the guitar solo is mostly Michael Schenker outtakes, and not nearly as neatly crafted as that of the A-Side, using many of the same flourishes, but lacking the same overall dynamic form.

The final verse is thus a little hard to take - yes, it provides the correct balance to the song, according to the songwriter's book of rules, but, after that solo, maybe it should have been chopped?

It is what it is, though, and that is one of the great overlooked demo singles of the NWoBHM - although at £160, it's not one I'd recommend you rush out and buy - check out the music on the video here, though - you won't be disappointed!
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