Record #703: Nazareth – Expect No Mercy (1977)

If you thought that I would have learned my lesson from the bait and switch of Hair of the Dog, you might be wrong.

Expect No Mercy features an even more badass cover than its predecessor: a shining knight and a scimitar-wielding demon are engaged in an epic battle of good and evil. What are they fighting for? What are the stakes?

Apparently, the real battle is between heavy metal and blues rock: and blues rock is winning.

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Record #702: Nazareth – Hair of the Dog (1975)

Never judge a book by its cover.

Because if you were to look at the epic, Tolkien-esque painting of wolves and bat wings that adorn this record sleeve and imagine that you were in for some epic, fantasy-inspired heavy metal, you’d be disappointed.

…just like I was, when I first got this record because of the cover, and expected some epic, fantasy-inspired heavy metal.

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