TKO is a wonderful heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington. They started in 1977, and as of 2022 appear to be inactive. Over the years, there were several reformations and break ups of the band, but never say never.
This box provides a full document of just about everything this band did. Many of these albums are very difficult to find, and generated high prices due to its unavailability. Cherry Red is definitely correcting this with such exquisite release. And yes, you will be completely knocked out once you complete listening to the contents of this mysterious box.
There are 5 discs in this set, and they pretty much cover the whole story. Let It Roll was the debut album released back in 1979. It was still a rock/hard rock release that showed the band still developing its style. Round Two-Lost Demos also date back to 1979, and display the raw guts and glory of early TKO. In Your Face was a great album released back in 1984. It really showcases TKO as a force to be reckoned with. It should’ve been a huge album, but how do you compete with Metallica back in 1984? The climate was changing, you were either super heavy, and beyond glam. The straight forward heavy metal bands were a hard sell at this point. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that traditional resurgence proved that keeping it true was in fact a way to go. Below the Belt came out in 1986, and it was another very cool record, unfortunately went completely unnoticed at the time of its release. So not fair, but what can you do? There is also a Suicide Squat EP added to Below the Belt. It was a project the band members were involved with after TKO folded in 1987. The final disc is the early mixes of In Your Face, this is quite interesting to see how the sound of that album progressed into the final stage. Some might actually like this mix more than the actual album. It’s here for you to explore. All of this treasure is accompanying by a very nice booklet with information on each album, and a comprehensive narrative about the band’s history.
TKO never got big on the national stage, but they made some memorable music, and enjoyed a very faithful following. This box is done with a collector in mind, but it also documents a career, dedication, and a lot of hard work. TKO had all it took to be as big as some of the bands that made it, but for one reason or the other, things just didn’t happen. Don’t let this small fact keep you away from enjoying these great recordings, and appreciating the band.
Mark Kadzielawa
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