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Calm Before the Storm

by Nor'easter

supported by
Ben Cattle
Ben Cattle thumbnail
Ben Cattle I really love this little album, good music is timeless regardless but Chemical Zone really stands out for me because it could have been written yesterday and have been as poignant Favorite track: The Chemical Zone.
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1.
"Fare Thee Well" Andrew McKnight, ©1985, Catalooch Music BMI "Calm Before the Storm" Andrew McKnight, ©1985, Catalooch Music BMI Winds are rising over the North Atlantic Sea, feel the weather brewing now it's cold and blustery, watch the clouds block the glare of the setting sun, thunderbolts crackle in the East, Mother Nature loose the beast upon mankind In the eye of the storm spins the deadened zone, feel the pressure build and start to blow, on the beach in the reach of an ancient fisherman, waves crash down on the sand, Death awaits your hand if you stay, Chorus: In the calm before the storm, it won't hold back for long, waves come crashing down run for your life, In the calm before the storm, the wave is sure to ruin, Mother Nature proves her mastery How a man tries to control his destiny, but the North Wind still blows as she pleases, do you dare upset the natural ordering, lightning bolts are real, coming forth to deal with all their might Chorus solos Out at sea a sailor's watery grave is made, cruel Wind and Water take my life, fool not with the power of the Nor'easterly my lad, wind and waves crash down, Death will take your town if you stay! Chorus
2.
"The Chemical Zone" Andrew McKnight & Christopher Gursky, ©1985, Catalooch Music BMI The dawn breaks early here, like any other day, the morning breeze rushes, blows the glittering mist away, a sunrise, an old mans' eyes, searching for his youth, in the ground the silent killer, lurks nearby in deadly truth, Children use to play here, happy in their games, people about their daily work, you might even know their names, Death stalks the unknowing, a graveyard sudden grew, the torment and the torture, amidst the damage that we do, Why isn't there anybody left here, what's gone and happened to our own, why have they buried all the young ones, here at the edge of the chemical zone An acid rain falls, and turns the nearby forest gray, a mountain river washes all our hazardous waste away, the toxic chemical drums buried in the solemn countryside, have condemned all that lived here, they're waiting now to die A mother grimly weeping, stands by her infant's grave, our government and its leaders don't even try to save, the lives of our children, some die in the womb, they're born just to be encased, in Society's endless tomb, Why isn't there anybody left here, why can't we ever go back home, why did our brothers have to die now, here at the edge of the chemical zone
3.
Words & music 1986© Andrew McKnight, Catalooch Music BMI You said you wanted to be mine, be with me all the time, while all the while you were out runnin' round, you said you wanted love, but that ain't what you're thinkin' of, when you're drivin towards the other end of town you told me lies I believed it, but that's all cause this is it, it's all over for your cheatin ways but when you wake in the night, it won't feel alright Chorus: Don't wanna hear you talk, don't believe in what you're sayin, cause you'd walk over me anyway Don't wanna watch you walk, I don't care how you're feelin', and I won't play the fool anymore You said I was your man, looked me in the eye, and held my hand, while you made such a fool out of me, you talked hot and played real dirty, had some fun for twenty five or thirty, yeah we had such a grand ol' time but when the talking’s done, you've got nowhere to run Chorus Solos But when you wake in the night, it won't feel alright Chorus
4.
The King 03:25
"The King" Andrew McKnight, ©1985, Catalooch Music BMI The King is filled with sorrow, there's shame about his crown, an Angel from the Heavens, has come to cast him down, a thunderbolt of power, Mystical light enshrouds his mind, the Watchers in the tower, watch the fall of the divine A holder of the Order, a sceptre of the proud, multitudes of followers, bend knee to the ground, The King has passed before you, the ending of an age, coming Darkness dreadens all, sets fear to squire and sage, bowed heads to the Mystery, the priests and prophets lame the dark lord having won their souls and cast them to the Flame Resistor of the evil, a force before the Fell, now his crown is shattered, sent forth to serve in hell
5.
"Like a Fallen Angel" Andrew McKnight, ©1984, Catalooch Music BMI A hand upon her shoulders, a favor for a friend, a time a place a passion, two hearts beating fast, no no my dear don't worry, it's love you feel inside, but when you wake in the morning, don't try to run and hide, it's not like a fever, it's only hunger of your heart, a feeling deep inside you can’t ignore, Chorus Like a fallen angel, she stares up at the sky like a fallen angel, no time to reason why, no time to reason why Oh mama tried to tell you, the one with bedroom eyes, living on the red line, moving faster all the time, the boys that always watch you, the girls who lead them on, a mark up on the scoreboard, but the loser's left behind, a heart is meant for breaking, on the first try of your life, a feeling deep inside you can't ignore Chorus Acoustic solos Tap solo Electric harmony solos Chorus Outro
6.
"Cosmic Metalhead" Andrew McKnight, ©1985, Catalooch Music BMI Feel the noise, rock the schoolboys, hail the cosmic metalhead Sing and shout, the beast is out, born the cosmic metalhead Share your song with the free, raise fist across the nations, dance and sing all metalheads ring, with guitar inspiration the Beast returns, the country burns, with red hot metal madness join the strife we'll save your life, join the march of the free world Crank it out, we scream and shout, here's the cosmic metalhead we march for peace, bring metal to the East, send the cosmic metalhead Won't go to war with no Russian czar, heavy is our message, black or white, howl all night, come on out to join us, we rock for you the metalheads true, we've raised the giant warlord, his metal head, boots of lead, the throng that march before him Feel the Beast, the metallica feasts, rock on cosmic metalhead in the heat we refuse defeat, hail the cosmic metalhead solo trades harmony solo solo Iron or steel, is his meal, increasing his power, in the night he's glowing white he's trashing new wave fools before him, the crowd screams, the mirror gleams, the world is torn by thunder, his metal head, boots of lead, the throng that march before him Man your guns, the enemy runs, the ruler Cosmic Metalhead, the king is here, the end draws near, hail the Cosmic Metalhead hail the Cosmic Metalhead
7.
"In Poseidon's Realm" Andrew McKnight, Paul St. Amour and Matthew Bouley, ©1986 Catalooch Music BMI
8.
"What's Been On Your Mind" Andrew McKnight, ©1984, Catalooch Music BMI Why try to avoid it, it'll cause you sorrow inside, don't let it keep you lying in bed awake at night your senses are illusions, you never feel the same way two times, so afraid of waking in the dark, Chorus Oh, what's been on your mind, lonely all the time, Oh, what's been on your mind, let it all out, hold your head up high Your slender body's shaking, your little heart is quakin so fast, you're so afraid to think good love can last, I see your body quiver, I watch your teardrops fade and fall away, starin' into darkness, looking for the words to say Chorus Solos Chorus Outro
9.
"Rock Time in Your Town" Andrew McKnight, ©1985, Catalooch Music BMI All across the country in your town U.S.A., people gather round and round, to rock the night away from Jersey City to the Golden Bay, there's people rockin’ in every way, so c'mon raise your hands Chorus Rock time in your town, the boys have hit the stage, rock time in your town, rockin's all the rage, Rock time in your town, everybody's runnin wild, we're coming down to rock your town tonight From Baltimore to the Detroit shore, there's a wave of new sensation, Saturday night let's have a light, the rock to roll the nation, hey over there, let down your hair, join the people rockin' everywhere, c'mon hear the guitar Chorus solos Rock time in your town Chorus
10.
Battle Cry! 03:54
"Battle Cry!" Andrew McKnight, ©1986, Catalooch Music BMI Warriors on sure steeds, the valiant move forward, following he who is ruler of all Death is to deal with these foul foes before us, the gleam of our swords and their fear of our might, Come to the front line our leader is waiting, waiting to sound out the victory horns, casting a fear into hearts of the timid, run for your life all who defy our cause, Chorus Feel the thunder, fear our warriors, hear our battle cry! Let the swords fall, on the vain ones, fear our battle cry! How fierce the resistance the evil lord musters, yet the sword of the good shall end his might, the Devil's own dragon springs up from the ground now, with flames that reach forth killing hordes of our own, Surround that beast with our spear throwing best lads, blast through his hide and his evil is done, save the free world and like heroes will ride in, all hail the leader we respect and love Chorus In his glory, Father of all, bless our battle cry! the fires burn high, swords and spears fly, rings our battle cry! solos Chorus In the ruins, of your city, rings our battle cry! the dark lord perished, oh Father cherished, bless our battle cry! Hear our Battle Cry!
11.
None

about

OUR STORY: In the mid-80s Nor’easter were like thousands of hungry young bands, inspired by the new supernova of guitar-driven heavy metal led by Ozzy Osbourne & Iron Maiden. Based in Plainfield CT, a hotbed of musical talent and a backwater of opportunity, the quartet wrote & performed an album’s worth of their own material over a 3-year period. Their music was at home in the metal scene but influenced as much by their 70s rock heroes like Led Zeppelin & Rush.

Like the vast majority of those bands, dreams eventually foundered on the realities of work and family. Two years after their final show, Chris, Andrew, and Matt went into engineer Pat Mills' Stonehouse Studio to preserve their legacy on tape; a decent unproduced set of 10 songs. After that, life intervened and the tapes sat in Pat's basement.

During an autumn 2002 solo tour, Andrew spent an afternoon with Pat transferring the original tracks onto his new digital workstation. Tragically, less than two weeks later Matt passed away. And once again, the project sat undisturbed, now backed up on discs in Andrew's attic.

Fate offered a unique opportunity when the pandemic put Andrew’s touring singer/songwriter career on indefinite hold. But he found to his horror that all the files had been corrupted, and the project was likely lost.

Thanks to the technical wizardry of Andrew’s longtime engineer Dustin Delage, some sturdier than reasonable files, and a whole lot of little miracles, the original recordings were safely imported into the modern studio. And now, you will finally hear these songs the way the band envisioned them all those years ago.

credits

released August 12, 2022

Christopher A. Gursky - vocals
Andrew McKnight - acoustic & electric guitars, bass, harmony vocals
Matthew Bouley - drums

With thanks to our concert bassist Paul St. Amour
and sound engineer Matt Turkovich.

Recorded by Pat Mills at Stonehouse Sound, Plainfield CT, 1989, except “Fare Thee Well” and “Hymn of the Oceans” recorded by Matt Turkovich & Steve Dahl at Daystar Farm, Preston CT, 1986
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Dustin Delage, Cabin Studio, Leesburg VA 2021-22.
Band photography by Laurie McKnight
Album cover painting by Rachel McFadden
Digital art and graphic design by Kathlene Sage

Produced by
Dustin Delage & Andrew McKnight

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Nor'easter Plainfield, Connecticut

Hard rock band based in eastern Connecticut 1984-87. With a sound & style between Rush and the Blizzard of Ozz, their "Calm Before the Storm" album recorded in 1989 is released here in August 2022. The final Nor'easter lineup through May 1987; Christopher A. Gursky on lead vocals, Andrew McKnight - guitars, Paul St. Amour - bass, and Matthew Bouley - drums. ... more

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