This year, Indianapolis based Eonian Records re-released what they consider a plethora of hard rock , hair band, “metalish”acts that either blipped on the musical radar screen or perhaps never made it within ear shot of a radio at all. Enter the band High Noon and their chronological musical biography “No Turning Back”.
As the story goes, High Noon was formed in early 1989 when childhood friends and California natives, Ken Hitsman (guitar) and Sam Persons (bass), left their previous band to form High Noon with Jim Zappa on vocals and eventually, Mike Patterson on drums. The band played the usual haunts in Southern California for the next 4 years following in the footsteps of any of the LA based hair bands of that ilk.
Their demo was shopped to record companies and garnered some interest but fortunately no deal was ever made; and there is a reason for that. High Noon had the looks, the hair, the clothes but what “No Turning Back” demonstrates is that they did not have the chops to back all of that up.
Albeit their energy is palpable but the songs lack a hook and Zappa’s vocals end up being a shrill version of Michael Matejevic of Steelheart with no real range or depth, which after fourteen tracks can become grating.
If you were a High Noon fan, Christmas has come early - if not, this is one holiday you can miss.
