Negoba Indulgently Over the Top

Though Mark Slaughter appeared in the video for the Vinnie Vincent Invasion's first album, it wasn't unti All Systems Go that he was able to show his now famous pipes. From the opening rip of "The Immigrant Song" on the awesome glam metal anthem "Ashes to Ashes," Slaughter shows himself more than ready to match Vincent's excessiveness with ease. He also adds some songwriting savvy to the album, but the whole group probably didn't write a good lyric in their entire careers. Not that anyone cared in those days.

Vincent is still on full display on this album, but he shows us a much wider array of tricks than he did on the debut. The multi-tracked guitar of "Star Spangled Banner" is great fun, though only in the 80's would a guitarist try to one up Jimi Hendrix. The harmonies, the swells, the plucked rhythm parts, clearly Vinnie wants to show he's more than just fly picking. Of course that's here too.

"Ashes to Ashes" and "Love Kills" are phenomenal songs in the glam metal genre. The rest of the record holds up the pace, but those two songs are the keepers. Perhaps the band would have done better had they not broke up before the tour for this album even got fully underway. Of course Strum and Slaughter would go on to make a wadful of cash behind Mark's voice. Bobby Rock would drum for Nelson next but sit in keeping a solid beat for whoever would have him. And Vinnie Vincent? Well as much as any artist, he fell off the face of the earth.