Chasar

..This is the official MySpace page of the unofficial-but-authorized Chasar website, Chasar Online. Check it out for archived galleries, press articles/reviews etc. There's a link elsewhere on this page, or copy/paste: chasaronline.tripod.com
" ... intimidating, wonderful, magnificent ... this is progression on a level with Zeppelin ('Houses of the Holy') and Rush ('Caress of Steel')"
'Kerrang!' magazine - 1985
" ... staggeringly high musicianship, screamin' at you like a multitude of Malmsteens, Cobhams and Clarkes from every groove. "
'Mega Metal Kerrang!' - 1986
"BUY and ENJOY! This is a treasure to discover. "
'Sweden Rock' magazine - 2001
" ... genuinely jaw-dropping musicianship ... It's intense. "
'100axes' website - 2002
Chasar was formed in Alloa in 1981 by the Marshall brothers, Jim (Drums/Percussion) and Peter (Bass/12 String Guitar/Bass Pedals), recruiting Alec Pollock as guitarist/vocalist. This remained the core lineup throughout the band’s career (c. 1981 - 1989).
The first song the band wrote together was ‘Kings’, showing the strong Rush influence for which Chasar became famous (infamous?) and at first they did sound like a heavy-metal Rush, going so far as to include several Rush covers in their set. However the material grew heavier the more they wrote, drawing their influences from across the rock spectrum from Sabbath to UFO and Thin Lizzy, and there was more of a focus for Alec’s scary fusion/prog influenced guitar playing. An early gig recording circulated around this time, from an Irvine show, and this may have been officially available at gigs ... no one can remember!
By the time of the initial cassette-only release of the album ‘Chasar’ (on the band's own label, MPM) in 1983, Chasar had a strong live following and reputation throughout Scotland, further enhanced by an excellent ‘Kerrang!’ review of an Aberdeen gig from their 1982 tour with Pallas. They were able to tour successfully throughout most of the UK, which had led to a reputation-cementing session for Tommy Vance’s Friday Rock Show on Radio One.
The album was produced by the band, recorded in two and a half days at Run Rig's Castlesound studio in Edinburgh. A thousand cassette sales later, it was finally picked up by American Phonograph and given a UK vinyl release at the end of June 1985, and was given a great review in 'Kerrang!' - quote: “... this is progression on a level with Zeppelin ('Houses of the Holy') and Rush ('Caress of Steel'), the epitome of corrosive power surge but engulfed with the intelligence of perfect song construction.”
The band was misled as to the album's sales and availability (American Phonograph told them it had been deleted in 1986; in fact the album remained on the label's stock list for at least a further two years). In addition to this, and without Chasar's knowledge, a Belgian-pressed European issue of the LP was released sometime around 1987 on Mausoleum Records as 'Gypsy Roller' (this was issued on CD in the 90s). There was also an obscure European compilation LP, 'War On The Planet', apparently featuring a couple of Chasar tracks, most likely from the 'Chasar'/'Gypsy Roller' album. The fact that these releases seem to have been licensed from American Phonograph or related parties, and that ‘Gypsy Roller’ was repackaged with a new title and cover implies that UK sales of the LP had been healthy (I was working in record shops at that time and the album’s sales were strong in those stores right up until I left in 1988) - the band however were left in the dark.
By the time of the ‘Kerrang!’ album review (as well as a ‘Mega Metal Kerrang!’ interview which was a ruined opportunity thanks to this English publication’s decision to spend the whole piece witlessly taking the piss out of the band’s accents), Chasar had decided on expanding the lineup to include a vocalist as Alec had always been somewhat reluctant in the role. Gary Danza and Pete Scanlon had each filled the role in 85/86 before Ian Taitz took over. Taitz stayed with the band until 1988, recording several high-profile demos (receiving air play on the Tommy Vance Friday Rock Show, and extensive air play on Radio Clyde, particularly Tom Russell's Rock Show) and an unreleased 12” EP. He also fronted the band for their 1987 appearance as headliners at the Kelvingrove Rock Festival in Glasgow, which was broadcast on Radio Clyde (at least one earlier Kelvingrove set - probably 1984 - was also broadcast by Clyde).
While still a popular live attraction on the rock circuit, the band finally called it a day in 1988, reforming briefly the following year for a one-off gig in Alva. Their final few gigs were as the original three-piece lineup. For the next few years there was periodic talk of a reunion, rumours even appearing as news in Kerrang! that they were reforming as a five-piece with a new singer and keyboard player but nothing came of it. In the meantime Alec worked with violinist George Foutar and toured with covers band No Dice.
The four-piece lineup with Ian Tait(z) was set to reform in the 90s but plans were halted for good when Peter Marshall was tragically killed in a road accident. In the mid ‘90s Alec joined prog-rockers Monitor Lizard. The band changed their name to Exit and released an excellent album, ‘Turn The Page’.
In 1999 the website appeared, first called ‘Gypsy Rollers’ then ‘Chasar Online’, intended as a straight forward information resource on Chasar. Interest in the band was still very strong, with a mixture of old fans and new ones who’d got into the band via the album, which has become something of an underground favourite in metal circles around the world. Emails came in from Belgium, France, the US, Brazil ... there was even the guitarist from a Mexican metal band looking for detailed answers to some very in depth questions about Alec’s 1983 setup so that he could duplicate it on his band’s upcoming album!
In 2001, this wave of interested sparked CDR reissues via Traxstudio of the Chasar album and Exit’s ‘Turn The Page’. These gained rave reviews in Sweden Rock magazine. There was also a CDR issue of demos (‘Official Bootleg’) - unfortunately it was of very poor quality. In the early 2000’s there was an encyclopaedia of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal published which featured an in depth entry on Chasar.
Jim Marshall left a message on the ‘Chasar Online’ guest book saying that he, Alec and Ian had jammed again, and that while it had been great, nothing had come of it. In recent years Ian Tait (now minus the showbiz ‘z’!) has been playing the Glasgow rock covers band circuit, while Alec put together another lineup of No Dice, also featuring ex-members of Exit and Glasgow, which has proved very popular throughout Scotland. No Dice released a covers EP in 2001.
There has been no further word on reissuing the band’s considerable catalogue of recordings, from the album itself, through the album-quality demos and unreleased EP sessions, to the Radio One sessions and Radio Clyde live broadcasts. Seems like a hell of a missed opportunity. In the meantime, the vinyl issues of the album can be costly with ambitious eBayers routinely asking over £50 for the ‘Chasar’ and ‘Gypsy Roller’ versions. Realistically you can be expected to shell out upwards of £20 for a nice shiny ‘Chasar’, around half that for a spanking ‘Gypsy Roller’. Original tape prices are anybody’s guess, though one went on eBay for just shy of £20 a few years back.
The above is an edit of the Chasar bio by Craig Hughes on Glasband80.co.uk (friends link below)