The drums of Mark Madonia thrust into a quick blast, the riffs of Ray Abel cut through the air, the bass of Boog (Jimmy Taylor) swarms in like a typhoon of heaviness, and the voice of Shane Parry takes over the melodic lines – sweet as honey, sharp as steel. The music of MATAKOPAS unfolds, capturing not only our ears but our hearts as well!
The opening track, “Strangers” is an amazing love song – tuneful and deeply moving, mostly due to Parry’s performance. While he may not exhibit a great vocal range, his distinctive tone offers a direct connection with the listener, resonating with passion and drama.
“Thoughts” which follows, continues the powerful yet melodic journey, while “For Your Life” kicks in more intensely and tougher, showcasing excellent drumming from Madonia. Both tracks deal with themes of freedom and standing firm in your life choices. Unsurprisingly, “Cruel, Cruel You” is another love song -a pleasant one-barely exceeding the two-and-a-half-minute mark. Of similar length but much faster is “Time of Day” which follows, featuring some intriguing guitar work by Abel while Madonia and Boog hold the rhythm with precision. Parry shines on vocals, but his greatest moments come in the next two songs.
In “Night Stalker” he delivers a heartfelt recital of old-school, gritty singing, while in “Dreamer” his voice becomes playful and deeply expressive. Both tracks display roaring basslines and bursting guitar solos—one song capturing erotic tension and law-breaking rebellion, and the other delivering up-tempo, stick-it-to-the-man energy.
The self-titled instrumental track, “Matakopas” is well-structured and courteously developed, though it lacks truly striking components. The final song, “Insane” is fast and rhythmic – a fitting choice to close the album.
“Coming Out Ahead” was first released in 1987, at a time when heavy metal was launching its full-scale assault to conquer the world, with numerous U.S. bands leading the charge. MATAKOPAS’ hometown, New York, boasted several successful acts, such as the epic pioneers MANOWAR and VIRGIN STEELE, the mighty RIOT, TWISTED SISTER, and THE RODS. Just a year earlier, in 1986, great albums like “Annihilation Absolute” by CITIES and “Rolling Thunder” by ATTILA had been released. While the local scene may not have been a commanding metal stronghold, it still provided a solid foundation for these four high-school friends to chase their dream – even under their unusual name, composed of the first two letters of each member’s last name.
In 1987, the band decided to record their debut album, “Coming Out Ahead”, with Bob F. Acquaviva as their producer. After months of pre-production, they entered UCA Recording Studios in Utica, NY, to lay down tracks. The result was nine pure, unadulterated American heavy metal songs. MATAKOPAS‘ music can best be described as NWOBHM infused with U.S. melodic power elements.
The band played several live shows, earning significant acclaim within the New York metal scene. They continued for two more years, during which they managed to record one more album under the name MATAKOPAS. However, this album remains unreleased and is known only to those close to the band. In the early ’90s, MATAKOPAS began moving in a more hard-rock direction, eventually changing their name to RED HUSH.
Over the years, “Coming Out Ahead” has become highly regarded in the underground scene and is now considered a cult classic sought after by collectors worldwide.
At long last, the time has come for both a CD and the first vinyl reissue, fully remastered from the original master tapes, courtesy of Heaven and Hell Records and No Remorse Records.
“Coming Out Ahead” was re-released on CD on October 18th by Heaven and Hell Records and will also be re-released on LP and as a limited Deluxe Box (CD, LP, MC) on January 31st 2025 by No Remorse Records.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
