The very idea of “hair” metal became tainted by the vapidity of bands such as Poison, Trixter and Winger. However, dig a little deeper and you’ll find a bunch of talented, inventive musicians, and a prime example would be the Sea Hags. Born on New Year’s Day, 1985, the Hags had a foot in both the metal and punk scenes which allowed them to share stages with the likes of The Misfits and Motörhead (while their first demo tape was co-produced by Metallica’s Kirk Hammett; who also played on that cassette). It all gave the band a credibility that their peers lacked and that’s something that seeps through every note of Dead & Gone. Recorded live at CD Studios in March ‘86, Dead & Gone finds the Hags at their embryonic, blistering best.
Barrelling from the speakers like Motörhead on methamphetamine, Dead & Gone finds the Sea Hags getting straight down to business with opening track ‘Huntin’ For Dad’. And the Sea Hags pack a similar kind of punch to Lemmy & Co; they were a power trio in its purest definition and created a sound far bigger than their constituent parts. When this combo locked in they demanded your full attention; theirs was a sound toughened up in front of some of the meanest crowds (see above) and ‘Huntin’ For Dad’ evidences a band making a beeline for the biggest stages (a destination they surely would have arrived at had fate not intervened). In fact, Dead & Gone gives a tantalising glimpse at what might have been; although it was captured in the studio in front of 60 (rabid) fans, the sound is big and boomy as if the band are rocking an arena and truth be told, they sound right at home.
Dead & Gone is a release that simultaneously signposts the past and future. The Sea Hags are kind enough to wear their influences on their sleeve and there’s definitely a ‘60s garage vibe on many of these tracks (for ‘King Bee Blues’ think Them and Van Morrison playing heavy metal) with the band throwing some ‘Helter Skelter’ into final track ‘Cock Eyed Crow’. Yet, it’s also a sound that was way ahead of the curve, a kind a proto-grunge, and you feel Nirvana were studiously taking notes as they readied themselves for their assault on the music world. While tracks such as ‘Doghouse’ and ‘Back To The Grind’ are fully formed and are as they appeared on their 1989 eponymous debut album, you’ll also hear riffs and lyrics that would be incorporated into the Sea Hags opus with the help of producer Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses), but overall this recording has an edge that was lost when the band became a quartet and signed to Chrysalis.
Why the Sea Hags never hit the big time shall remain a mystery (they were particularly well received in the UK; I remember catching them on ITV’s flagship rock show The Power Hour). It might have been signed to a label more used to dealing with pop acts or maybe the Sea Hags were a little too cerebral, but with a plethora of great rock acts in the late ‘80s, I guess it was easy to get lost in the shuffle. After the untimely death of bassist Chris Schlosshardt, the band’s existence came to a shuddering halt and while the Sea Hags might be gone, thanks to Liberation Hall they won’t be forgotten.
- Dead & Gone is released via Liberation Hall on 12th September 2025 (available here).
Track List:
- Huntin’ For Dad
- Happy Hours With You
- Dead And Gone
- Chicken Boys
- Ridin’ Out
- Doghouse
- Back To The Grind
- Love Kills
- King Bee Blues
- Cock Eyed Crow
