First CD edition of the debut album by Maltese Falcon!

Maltese Falcon can easily be called the lost heroes of the golden years of heavy metal. Inspired by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon and Grim Reaper, the band invaded the 80’s metal scene with a solid mixture of power, melody and heaviness. Their short, yet successful career brought a true gem – the album “Metal Rush”, released in 1984. The band’s debut album was packed with prime quality heavy metal and even though it was reminiscent of early W.A.S.P., Maltese Falcon managed to show some tricks of their own and instantly gained recognition on the Danish metal scene. “Metal Rush” starts off with the sharp opener “Alive” and is followed by such highlights as the massive “Heavy ‘n’ Loud”, the catchy “Rebellion” and the ultimate crowd-pleaser “Headbanger”. The band also included a ballad – “On Fire” – which immediately precedes the last song on the album, the ultra-fast title track. Musically, Maltese Falcon did not venture far from the typical heavy metal formula, however in terms of vocals, they were quite original. Some reviewers called Jensen’s voice a mixture of AC/DC’s Brain Johnson and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford. Indeed, his singing was extremely high-pitched and offered an interesting range of possibilities, which some critics loved and other hated.

Now, with this exclusive re-release, you can one again see the Maltese Falcon fly high all the way to the heavy metal top! First CD release of “Metal Rush” will be available in a digipak edition limited to 2000 copies, digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on a golden disc. The release date is set up for 19th January in Europe and 10th March in USA (via MVD).

Maltese Falcon
“Metal Rush” (remastered)

Label: Metal Mind Records
Cat. No.: MASS CD 1255 DG
Barcode: 5907785034099
Format: CD Digipak (limited edition of 2000 numbered copies)
Genre: heavy metal
Release date: 19.01.2009 Europe / 10.03.2009 USA

Tracklist:

1. Alive
2. Rats
3. Mammas In Town
4. Heavy’n’ Loud
5. Rebellion
6. Head Banger
7. On Fire
8. Metal Rush

Bio
The origin of the group dates back to 1983, when five young musicians from Copenhagen, Denmark decided to start their own heavy metal band. These musicians were Carsten Schmidt (guitar), Srren Peter Jensen (vocals), Hasse “Hal” Patino (bass), Martin Petersen (guitar) and Stig Nielsen (drums). The name Maltese Falcon was given to them by their good friend, who was none other than… Lars Ulrich (Metallica)! Ulrich took the name from a 1930 detective novel by Dashiell Hammett (there were two movie adaptation of the book). Soon Maltese Falcon begun working on their original material. They recorded 3 demos (two in 1983 and one in 1984), which eventually brought them a deal with the acclaimed record label – Roadrunner Records. Finally, they released their debut LP “Metal Rush” in 1984, instantly gaining recognition on the Danish metal scene. The album was packed with prime quality heavy metal and even though it was reminiscent of early W.A.S.P., Maltese Falcon managed to show some tricks of their own. The LP starts off with the sharp opener “Alive” and is followed by such highlights as the massive “Heavy ‘n’ Loud”, the catchy “Rebellion” and the ultimate crowd-pleaser “Headbanger”. The band also included a ballad – “On Fire” – which immediately precedes the last song on the album, the ultra-fast title track. Musically, Maltese Falcon did not venture far from the typical heavy metal formula, however in terms of vocals, they were quite original. Some reviewers called Jensen’s voice a mixture of AC/DC’s Brain Johnson and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford. Indeed, his singing was extremely high-pitched and offered an interesting range of possibilities, which some critics loved and other hated.
Unfortunately, the album didn’t manage to compete with other big names on the metal scene at the time of it release. The group recorded 2 more demos until it finally disbanded in 1986 (even though they were supposed to release their second LP in 1985). Vocalist Srren Peter Jensen joined the Danish band Release under the nickname “Charlie”, while bassist Hasse “Hal” Patino went on to play in such groups as King Diamond, Force of Evil and Doctor Butcher. As for “Metal Rush” – to this day it remains a hidden treasure chest, filled with eight amazing tracks that will satisfy any true fan of powerful and energetic music straight from the glory days of heavy metal!