Two of the most underrated - but widely respected - heavy metal releases of the late ‘80s were undoubtedly the first pair of albums by New Orleans-based hard rock outfit, Lillian Axe - 1988’s self-titled debut and 1989’s Love + War. And on May 12th, both will be reissued as “special deluxe collector’s editions” via Rock Candy Records - complete with multi-page booklets, essays, and fully remastered audio, shaped from 24 BIT digital technology.

Both albums can be ordered via the following links: Lillian Axe, Love + War.

The band - which been led since their inception by guitarist Steve Blaze - caught the attention of metalheads during an era when bands like Ratt ruled the MTV/radio airwaves. And it just so happened that Ratt’s manager at the time, Marshall Berle, crossed paths with the band, and helped broker a recording deal with MCA Records, and in turn, enlisted Ratt’s late guitarist, Robbin Crosby, to produce the group’s debut album - spawning such standout tracks as “Dream Of A Lifetime”, “Vision In The Night”, and “The More That You Get”.

Lillian Axe came back even stronger with their sophomore set, Love + War, with Tony Platt (who had previously worked with the likes of AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Krokus) serving as producer - which resulted in such rocking tunes as “The World Stopped Turning”, “Show A Little Love” and “She Likes It On Top”.

Soon, rock fans will get the opportunity to rediscover both Lillian Axe and Love + War, thanks to the good folks at Rock Candy.

Lillian Axe tracklisting:

“Dream Of A Lifetime”
“Inside Out”
“Vision In The Night”
“Picture Perfect”
“The More That You Get”
“Misery Loves Company”
“Nobody Knows”
“Hard Luck”
“Waiting In The Dark”
“Laughing In Your Face”

Love + War tracklisting:

“All's Fair In Love And War”
“She Likes It On Top”
“Diana”
“Down On You”
“The World Stopped Turning”
“Ghost Of Winter”
“My Number”
“Show A Little Love”
“Fool's Paradise”
“Letters In The Rain”

(Photo - lillianaxe.com)