R.I.P. Al Moris III

Force's self-titled extended play is a quite strange release. The album starts as doom metal record with gloomy atmosphere and distorted riffs but progressively shifts towards heavy metal or even hard rock stylistics that could play at a party.

Another unusual element is singer Simona Queen who might have been one of the first female doom and heavy metal singers back in the early eighties. Even though her vocals sound unusual, they aren't really skilled as her voice is quite thin, especially when she starts hitting higher notes. Sometimes, the guitar melodies and vocal melodies don't harmonize at all and it's the same for the instrumental pace versus the rhythmical delivery of the vocals. This sound particularly nerve-firing in the opener ''The Beast''. Maybe that's why there suddenly is a male lead singer in album closer ''Control Agent'' but he his performance doesn't sound any better. His vocals are half sung and half spoken and remind of a mixture of rock 'n' roll and rhythm 'n' blues stylistics. The bad production doesn't help as it sounds quite muffled. Hopelessly nostalgic fans might describe such a production as being authentic but that's often just an excuse for a cheap under-produced low-fidelity sound and that's exactly what we get here.

On the positive side, this extended play is full of surprises due to the different genres showcased here and the two unusual singers. Force certainly has a strong entertainment value. Alfred Morris III's guitar play is quite potent and especially the heavier riffs he plays have a great rhythmic vibe while his playful guitar solos are performed in a perfect early heavy metal style. The rhythm section isn't too bad either as Larry Brown's bass guitar play is quite energetic while drummer Kim Martin keeps a steady rhythm that provides a hard-rock foundation for the band sound.

The only reason why people might even listen to Force's forgotten first strike nowadays is because guitarist Alfred Morris III would later on become the founder and lead guitarist of doom metal band Iron Man. His versatile talent already shines through on this release, the rhythm section is also decent but vocals and songwriting are all over the place and therefore quite forgettable. Force's self-titled extended play grabs your attention for a while because of its unusual genre mixtures and strange vocalists but the record's quality is simply too low to leave a positive or lasting impression. To be honest, there is no valid reason for anyone still having such a release in a collection these days.


Tracklist
1. The Beast 04:05
2. Do It Again 04:17
3. Running Away with Your Love 04:20
4. Control Agent 02:39

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