SPEAR OF DESTINY
GRAPES OF WRATH 3/5 / ONE EYED JACKS 4/5
Epic ‘80s post-punk rockers.
Kirk Brandon shot to fame when his goth punk band Theatre Of Hate crashed into the UK charts on the back of the single ‘Do You Believe In The Westworld’. While TOH only lasted one album his next band, Spear of Destiny, fared a lot better and are still playing on and off today. Their debut album, 1983’s ‘Grapes Of Wrath’, was a much more straightforward rock approach, but epic in every way. Containing the chart single ‘The Wheel’, SOD were up and running but it was the follow-up ‘One Eyed Jacks’ that saw them hit their stride. Chart anthems like ‘Liberator’ and the soaring ‘Prisoner Of Love’ smashed into the charts off the back of Brandon’s majestic voice, howling saxophone and super tight five-piece band. Kirk Brandon’s voice survives as strong as ever today and live he’s still a real force to be reckoned with. Highly recommended.
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