Banshee: Race Against Time/Cry in the Night

Originally released in 1989, Race Against Time was the second release (and first full-length album) from American heavy metal band Banshee. The band had a sound that straddled the line between melodic rock and heavy metal, combining accessible melodies and hard rock song structures with some very metal guitar work and driving rhythms.

Banshee’s sound was along the same lines as Leatherwolf, Icon and Fifth Angel, and had some similarities to Armored Saint and Lizzy Borden at times. They had that great combination of metal heaviness and catchy melodies, with some absolutely dazzling guitar solos and strong, powerful vocals. Banshee was at their best knocking out pounding metal anthems like “Call of the Wild,” “Precious Metal” and the title track, but even the slower, balladesque “Missing You” was perfect for that era (and really should have been an MTV staple).

Race Against Time is a fantastic album front to back, with the potential to satisfy metal fans as well as fans of the Hollywood “hair metal” style. That it didn’t make Banshee a much higher profile act at the time is a real shame. It’s one more sad case of label mismanagement. It may not have been a huge hit, but Race Against Time remains one of the better hard rock/heavy metal albums of the late ‘90s, and is one that any serious fan and collector of bands like Leatherwolf, Icon and Fifth Angel needs to hear, especially now that it has been reissued.

Reissue Notes: After way too many years out of print and fetching collectors’ prices, Race Against Time finally sees a proper reissue (and no, the band-issued CD-R from a few years ago doesn’t count) with Divebomb’s deluxe Race Against Time/Cry in the Night release. Not only do we get a newly remastered version of Race Against Time, but the second disc features the band’s heavier, more metallic 1986 Cry in the Night EP, also remastered, plus the Metal Massacre version of “We Want You” and a bonus track. It also features a nice booklet loaded with vintage photos, lyrics and a new interview with guitarist Terry Dunn. Waiting so long for a proper reissue is worth it for a reissue that looks and sounds as good as this one.

Banshee