Mixing metal and punk is a hard balancing act, if you do it wrong you come out sounding generic and/or lame or like your trying too hard. A lot of bands that try it, metal or punk bands end up falling off the high wire and crashing right into the ground with no cushioning, you do it right and its the sound of the Gods. Vopo’s with “Conquer” have done just that, and this isn’t your typical, rehashed “crossover thrash”, no this album came out when punks and metal heads still kind of hated each others guts and going “punk” or “metal” in either camp was “selling out”, some make metal punk unintentionally (like Venom and Motorhead), and some (like Vopo’s and Warfare) do it on purpose and do it right which is rare, its normally the people who try to do it on purpose that screw it the hell up. And boy oh boy check out that cheesy, S and M airbrushed 1980’s cover and metalized words! Makes you slaver, don’t it?
The first track says it all “Hard and Loud” a galloping track that will trample you under iron hooves, a rip snortin’ mean one at that, this one won’t let you come up for breath. The second track “Tonight” is slowed down and groovy, it still rocks like a mother fucker, the bass just throbs sexually and it keeps this groove until it explodes into guitar solo insanity. “In the Book” is a track with discordant guitar chords and a drummer trying to out race a Ferrari, lets not downplay the punk vocals, snotty with a back up chorus, this song is catchy as hell. “Nuclear War” is a strange track you get the punchy and catchy punk/speed metal with a accordion sounding off in the background! Yeah I know it sounds lame at first but it actually gives the song some flavor that would’ve been missing otherwise. “Warrior” starts of with a throat rending scream and riffs cascade and the band goes for broke, this is a song for warriors alright, it takes no god damn prisoners. “Conquer” the album title track could be a hardcore punk song if it didn’t have the technical solo in the middle, its got the obligatory “shout back” back up vocals, a ripper of a tune. “Get Me” starts deceptively with a piano jag and as the piano picks up speed the guitar, bass and drums kicks into high gear and go at 120 MPH with no regard for safety, defiance “GET ME! COME AND GET ME! YOU WON’T LAST!” Every last police car giving chase ends up in the ditch and/or off a cliff. “Speedbanging Babies” starts with stuttering guitar and then snarls into metal punk defiance and doesn’t let up, “Just bang your head like speedbanging baby, bang your head til you die”. This song sprays lead in all directions, massive destruction ensues. “007” so are you in for some surf metal guitar James Bond style? Than this is your tune! Reverbed guitar chords ripple like an angry ocean after Tsunami and crash on the rocks with ripping rhythm and solos, these guys dig on Bond. This song is a license to kill, I love when bands mix genres. And the last song “Short Joy” makes me want to cry because its the last song on the whole album and they go out with a bang, with nonsensical lyrics and melodic speed metal/punk “Where is the cat? HE IS IN YOUR HAT! The cat is no more there is blood all over!” Now I am not blowing a bunch of smoke up your ass, from beginning to end this album fucking slays, not one of the songs is bad, I’ve listened to this thing up to ten times a day and haven’t got sick of it, everyone of these songs will get stuck in your head, like gum at the bottom of your shoe that won’t come off and this is good shit to get stuck in your head.
“Vopo’s Conquer” was an album I stumbled across looking for old school metal punk bands, after stumbling across a bunch of generic “crossover thrash” I came across this band and was blown away. This was what I was looking for, a perfect balance between the two genres that didn’t come off sounding as if they tried too hard. So I went looking for the vinyl and found cheap copy on discogs.
Tried to do more research on this band and info is very skimpy on this band, on discogs the whole band has the same last name “Vopo” which explains the name of the band, that is if “Vopo” doesn’t mean something in a different language and they all took on a fake last name to mirror that and apparently their still active and released their next album after “Conquer” in 2005 around 20 years after! These guys used to have a web site where they sold their albums on CD but it is non existent. The cheapest vinyl copy is 25 bucks on discogs and you’ll have to pay astronomical shipping because most of the sellers are from out of Europe.
However if you want to get “Conquer”-ed right away go here: https://www.bitchute.com/video/TWNvBmk0BHH9/
If you want the whole platter here is where you should try your luck: https://www.discogs.com/Vopos-Conquer/release/2336041