SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES

CANADIAN MUSICIAN  

Terry Burman 

SANTERS / Shot Down In Flames 

The Santers band have done an impressive debut album. Brothers Rick and Mark Santers (guitar and drums) along with Rick Lazaroff (bass) show that there's more to really good heavy metal than mindless riffing and unintelligible vocals. 

The material has been given rock solid production and the tunes leap right out of the speakers. The arrangements are basic yet effective. Despite the macho stud lyrics, the songs have good hooks that stick. The best cut is the Santers treatment of the old hit, "The Rapper" which is far superior to the original. But then, the group suffers from an accute case of Zeppilinitis on "Crazy Ladies" which owes alot to "The Immigrant Song". 

Rick Santers is a good guitarist and singer. Santers (Rick) plays some nice slide duets with himself in "Time After Time" and some savagely beautiful guitar in the hypnotic title cut. His cohorts are no slouches either.

THE RECORD BIN  

David Meyer

Santers / Shot Down In Flames 

The Rick Santers band is a product of Canadian abilities and know-how. Santers won some measure of fame when his band finished as winners in a recent Q107 Homegrown radio contest and the song Time After Time, is on that grassroots album. 

Shot Down in Flames is a heavy metal album. The title track is Santers' tribute to the late Bon Scott of AC/DC. 

The album opens with The Rapper, an old hit by Jaggerz and it receives the best treatment I've heard. I did not care for the original version which sounded like it was done by a bunch of wimps. The lyrics are no better this time around but at least the song has some punch. 

Side one is just basic heavy metal rock. The only cut that is really a notch above the others is Lost and Found. 

Side two, however, is a different story as Santers and his brother Mark and bassist Rick Lazaroff move into richer and more varied musical structures. It starts with Shot Down In Flames and the boys get in some fine licks working their way through Caught in the Wind, Paths of Heart and Points of Resistance. 

MUSIC EXPRESS  

Santers / Shot Down In Flames 

It maybe too soon to tell, but based on this debut album, Santers could be Canada's next major heavy meta1 rock band. 

Although still in their early twenties lead guitarist Rick Santers, brother Mark on drums and bassist Rick Lazaroff show enough poise and skill to register a favorable impression. While leaning towards a predominantly heavy metal sound The Santers' boys have at least enough moxy to vary the pace and tempo, thus keeping the listener off balance and entertained. 

The album is well produced by Bob Connolly. Rick Santers' lead vocals are clean and precise and there's enough good songs (notably Time After Time, The Rapper and Caught In The Wind) to attain strong airplay.