Alcatrazz - No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll (1983) {1994, Japanese Reissue}

No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll was the first album by the American heavy metal band Alcatrazz led by veteran singer Graham Bonnet, released in 1983. It spent seven weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart, peaking at No. 128. It is considered by fans of the group to be the best Alcatrazz release and launched guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen into a glittering solo career. The album is most famous for the singles "Island in the Sun" and "Jet to Jet". Other notable offerings are "Hiroshima Mon Amour", "General Hospital" and "Incubus", a solo by Yngwie J. Malmsteen he continued to play during his solo career.

Though blessed with a potent voice, Alcatrazz leader (and purported star) Graham Bonnet was heavily dependent on the songwriting skills of his cohorts. Each album is therefore a reflection of the particular guitarist involved, resulting in a stylistic inconsistency that failed to attract a loyal following for the band. As such, their 1983 debut No Parole from Rock'n'Roll sounds a lot like guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen's later solo albums. Still, this is an excellent record, successfully fusing Bonnet's tuneful screaming, Jimmy Waldo's tasteful Rainbow-derived keyboard textures, and Malmsteen's blinding dexterity and speed. The nearly perfect "Island in the Sun" is the album's absolute high point, and it's a wonder the song didn't become a huge hit. And while "Jet to Jet" sounds like little more than a Rainbow outtake, the epic "Kree Nakoorie" showcases Malmsteen and Waldo at their best. Other highlights include the amusing "Too Young to Die, Too Drunk to Live" and "Bigfoot," with its scorching Malmsteen riff. In short, a fine record that any hard rock enthusiast will appreciate.