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Swiss Connection marks the fifth full-length release from the German Hard Rock and Heavy Metal act Mass, and this release really shows some improvement by the band. Originally made available back in 1981, this is yet another Mass release to be reissued by SPV records. However, the good news here is that the production quality on this recording is far better then that of the band's previous release, Angel Power, leading to a much more enjoyable experience, and as far as the transition to CD goes, it seems there really are no faults this time. The music on Swiss Connection, overall, just sounds so much better due to a considerably higher production quality, both for the original material and the transition to digital. While Angel Power had some problems in the quality in the music and vocals where things sounded distorted from the low quality material being converted to audio CD, this release seems to have no real problems in the quality at all and comes off as a solid, professional release by the band. The guitars sound more full, and have a nice edge to them, regardless of the simple chord structuring and well paced drumming. Much of the album is actually quite enjoyable and even catchy with full track lengths that don't leave the listener hanging like the band had given up mid-song or as if this were some short Punk song crossover act that really focused moreso on the track length aspect of the style's stereotypes. The best way to sum up this release would be to take AC/DC and Judas Priest and make them have some kind of twisted offspring, and you would have a good idea of what lies ahead of you for this release. While much of the album is well done, there's a few tracks that really stand out on the mix, including "Don't Wait Too Long" which is just a fantastic Hard Rock with a catchy simple chorus that will have you singing along with the vocalist, and plenty of simplestic guitars that, while holding a slight edge to them, are done well enough that you could just kick back and let your frustrations slip away. This feeling continues with the next track, "Red Lights and Whiskey", which is a very slow paced Rock song that you'd expect to hear when entering some kind of bad ass southern bar, or even in some kind of action or western movie, which greatly suits the alcoholic references through the song and has one of the most impressive vocal performances on the album, as well as some of the heaviest music near the end for the guitar solo. Other then those two songs, there's nothing all too much else to say about this release other then it's a highly enjoyable Hard Rock romp with some NWOBHM crossover thrown into the mix for an added edge. 2010 Reissue: In addition to making this release just more accessable and handy, a mastered track an early cassette recording from the band was added to this reissue. "Firebird" clocks in at just over nine minutes in length, and is more of a Progressive rock song then anything. This song is an interesting piece to have, especially if you're a fan of the band, but if you aren't then it's something that could be entirely overlooked as it really just isn't something all that impressive. It's clear they tried to get some kind of trance-inducing musical approach to the music, but in the end it just feels long, drawn out, and about half way through your first listen, chances are good you'll wind just ejecting the disc and saying to heck with it, especially when it becomes "the last time" and starts going through the same repetative "oh Firebird" chorus once again. In the end, Swiss Connection really does make for a fantastic release, and one of the better albums that Mass had put out. This reissue is easily one of the better ones of the group, and the bonus track is nifty for fans of the band to see the roots of the group back when they first formed, prior to the release of their debut full-length Back to the Music. This one is worth picking up if you're into the earliest forms of NWOBHM, and really shouldn't just be passed over, as it does feature some catchy songs that often have a nice bite to them without being too hard or even too simple. Mass outdid themselves on this release, and chances are good you'll really appreciate the material on here for what it is, and the era it was released. |
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