HSAS 1983 - HAGAR AND SCHON FLIRT WITH HEAVY METAL PERFORMING 'VALLEY OF THE KINGS'

 Considering this one off supergroup of the 1980`s included two of the biggest names in the world of melodic rock around that period of time, the commercial failure of HSAS, which is an acronym for the surnames of the four members - HAGAR, SCHON, AARONSON and SHRIEVE, was relatively surprising even though the band's one and only album (live in concert) was stilted and rather manufactured sounding for the most part.


The two big names in the mix were of course SAMMY HAGAR, who only two years later would join VAN HALEN, and NEAL SCHON, guitarist out of US AOR band JOURNEY, considered by many to be the greatest AOR band of all time. I agree to disagree on that point.


The other two members of HSAS are totally unknown to me, bassist KENNY AARONSON and drummer MICHAEL SHRIEVE. Like British one-off 80`s supergroup THE FIRM, which also included two big names of stadium rock in JIMMY PAGE and PAUL RODGERS, HSAS was artistically hamstrung by a palpably obvious lack of musical chemistry between the band members, and fatally for HSAS, especially the two artistics cogs in the band - HAGAR and SCHON.


HSAS just didn't quite gel, in an era overflowing with slick and made for radio melodic rock the band's album in one word seemed POINTLESS. Apart from putting an unsually hard rock edge on a set of mostly mediocre AOR tunes, HSAS didn't create anything innovative that made the band, even with the addition of HAGAR and SCHON, stand out amongst the crowd of AOR and 80`s melodic rock.


The album is called THROUGH THE FIRE, it is the result of two shows HSAS performed at WARFIELD THEATRE in California in late 1983, by all reports a lot of studio editing was required to make the finished album half listenable. It's not atrocious, most of the songs, including the band's cover of WHITER SHADE OF PALE, is so-so and reasonably pleasant but just nothing to get you all excited.


The one tune off the album which stands out as being great and not just mediocre is VALLEY OF THE KINGS, a quite good attempt by HAGAR to lend some OZZY OSBOURNE theatrics, and a good excuse for NEIL SCHON to let rip and sound like JOE SATRIANI.