Slave Raider: Bigger, Badder & Bolder

It didn’t take long after the Divebomb label released the first two long sought after Slave Raider albums that fans started asking about the even rarer, self-released third album. They got their wish this year with the deluxe edition reissue of Bigger, Badder & Bolder.

Originally released in 1990, Bigger, Badder & Bolder found the Minnesota band facing lineup turmoil (Letitia Ray and Nicci Wikkid split, and the band dropped down to a one-guitar approach) and without a label. Even as a four-piece, Slave Raider was still a force to be reckoned with. Chainsaw Caine and company still had that uncompromising hard rock energy that made Take the World by Storm and What Do You Know About Rock n’ Roll so much fun.

There are only seven tracks on Bigger, Badder & Bolder, but even a shorter Slave Raider album still packs plenty of punch. “Bigger, Badder & Bolder” and “Fight For What You Believe In” are great hard rocking anthems and “I Don’t Need Your Love” has real teeth. “Bad Boy Boogie” and “D.O.A.” see some funk creeping in, which is fun. The whole album is just a fun, rocking record though, and the one bonus of having such a short album is that they don’t waste space on fillers.

In addition to making this long lost album available to fans once more (and that alone is pretty terrific), Divebomb’s reissue of Bigger, Badder & Bolder features some cool extras. Most important is the fact that it has been newly remastered and sounds fantastic. It also includes a pair of sports-themed bonus tracks (“Win Twins Win” and “You Can’t Hide From the Purple Pride”) that their local fanbase ought to love, and a booklet featuring vintage photos and a new interview with Chainsaw Caine.

It goes without saying that this deluxe reissue of Bigger, Badder & Bolder is a must-have for the serious Slave Raider fans who already picked up Divebomb’s reissues of Take the World by Storm and What Do You Know About Rock n’ Roll. If you’re new to the band, but dig bands like Motley Crue, Lizzy Borden, Twisted Sister and W.A.S.P., Slave Raider is definitely a band you’ll want to discover.

Where to get it: http://amzn.to/2cHLD1x

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