313: Three Thirteen (Divebomb, 2019)

Well this is a great discovery by the Divebomb label. Before his time in Psycho Scream, Control Denied and now Pharaoh, vocalist Tim Aymar was part of Pittsburgh-based heavy metal outfit 313 (a.k.a. Three Thirteen). The band was active throughout most of the 1980s, and while they never managed to get an album out, they did record some very interesting demos that are just now seeing the light of day.

Divebomb’s deluxe 313 collection is appropriately titled Three Thirteen, and it features a hefty 19 tracks. The first ten were recorded at Gamut Productions in 1985 and the latter nine were recorded two years later at Aircraft Recording Studio. All of these songs are very much in keeping with the metal ethic of the mid ’80s. Think Omen, Malice, Sword, Savage Grace and the first Icon album. It’s all hard charging guitars, headbanging rhythms and of course Tim Aymar’s powerful (and yes, very recognizable) voice belting out songs about rocking in the night and being a warrior. How none of these songs made it onto a Metal Massacre sampler back in the day is beyond me. 313 had that early Metal Blade sound down pat.

This a really fun discovery, and as expected this release is quite well curated and presented. All of the material is newly remastered by Jamie King, who has done such great work with previous Divebomb reissues. It doesn’t quite mask the imperfections in the original material, which reflect the technology of the time, but metal like this isn’t supposed to sound pristine and polished in the first place. The CD release also includes a nice booklet with a new interview with the band.

Three Thirteen is a real treat, not only for fans of Aymar’s work in other bands or the Pittsburgh metal fans who followed 313 back in the ’80s, but for any serious fan and collector of cult 1980s era heavy metal. Fans of Omen, Sword and Malice ought to love this one.