Welcome to the Club is the second studio album by Canadian heavy metal band, Kick Axe. The album was released at the end of 1985 on Pasha Records/CBS Records in the format of vinyl and cassette album.
In 2000 was the album remastered and reissued, for the first time on CD, as part of the "Sony Rewind" series.
In 2016, a UK label Rock Candy remastered and reissued the album on CD in a "De Luxe" version comprising a comprehensive booklet loaded with vintage photos and a very detailed band history by Malcolm Dome.
Recorded in the Metal Works Studios, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (owned by a Canadian band Triumph), mixed in the Pasha Music House, Hollywood, California, USA and produced by Randy Bishop with a final touch of Spencer Proffer. Welcome to the Club sees Kick Axe veer into more commercial area with a smoother, more melodic and sophisticated collection of songs. Still an anthemic/arena metal, brash and bold, but more polished, with a more radio friendly production and smoother commercial touch that makes this album attractive to a wider audience.
The cover of Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" was released not only as a single but also as a video with an ensemble chorus featuring Lee Aaron & John Albani (Lee Aaron Band), Rik Emmett (Triumph), Brian Allen & Sheron Alton (Toronto), Bob Segarini, Alfie Zappacosta, Cameron Hawkins (FM), Cindy Valentine, Paris, Ava Cherry, Andy Curran (Coney Hatch). It reached #79 on the Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles.
In Canada the album reached #93, February 8, 1986 at the RPM Top 100 Albums.
This album never made it into Billboard 200 album chart.
Contents
Track listing
"Welcome to the Club" (Kick Axe) - 4:47
"Feels Good - Don't Stop" (Kick Axe/R.Bishop) - 3:22
"Comin' After You" (Kick Axe/R.Bishop) - 4:56
"Make Your Move" (Kick Axe/R.Bishop) - 3:51
"Never Let Go" (Kick Axe) - 5:13
"Hellraisers" (Kick Axe) - 4:17
"Can't Take It with You" (Kick Axe/R.Bishop) - 3:42
"Too Loud... Too Old" (Kick Axe) - 2:51
"Feel the Power" (Kick Axe/R.Bishop) - 3:47
"With a Little Help from My Friends" (J.Lennon/P.McCartney) - 4:19
Personnel
Band members
George Criston - lead vocals
Larry Gillstrom - guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Raymond Harvey - guitars, backing vocals
Victor Langen - bass guitar, backing vocals
Brian Gillstrom - drums, backing vocals
Additional musicians
Randy Bishop - percussion, keyboards
Spencer Proffer - percussion, keyboards
Rik Emmett, Alfie Zappacosta, Lee Aaron, John Albani, Andy Curran, Sharon Alton, Cindy Valentine, Brian Allen, Ava Cherry, Paris, Bob Segarini, Cameron Hawkins - vocals on track 10
Production
Randy Bishop, Spencer Proffer - producer
Suzanne DuBarry - producer assistant
Hanspeter Huber, Ed Stone - engineers
Alex Woltman, Kevin Arst, Noel Golden - engineering assistants
Steve Hall - mastering
Carol Peters, Karen Chamberlain, Gail Lee - coordination
Dimo Safari - photographs
Hugh Syme - art direction and design
Garry M. Stratychuk - manager
Joe Cardosi, Dean Zurowski, Mike Martin, Dwayne Fynn - tour personnel