From the hard driving opening track "Drugs," with searing licks and a thunderous rhythm section to the final song, "Bad Vibrations," featuring a deliciously evil riffs complemented by an accompaniment of bells, Gift's 1972 debut is not only one of my favorite heavy records from the formative days of metal, but easily a hidden treasure of the music world.
Hailing from Germany, the band started out as Phallus Dei before changing to the name Gift. Featuring Helmut Treichel on vocals, Rainer Baur on guitars, Uwe Patzke on bass, and Hermann Lange on drums, the band recorded this beast of an album in Munich. Given the year, this is really an uncompromising heavy metal album.
The songs are intense, well written, and catchy. The chorus guitar work of "Time Machine" always puts me in mind of the money riff from Megadeth's "Peace Sells (But Who's Buying?)." "Game of Skill" gets the blood pumping with an infectious groove and a sinister sound. I'd be remiss not to comment on the album cover, which has a killer logo dripping over a skull illusion. At risk of gushing like a school girl, Gift could stand with the elite of 70s metal. I give it my highest possible recommendation.
