Steelover —a name that might not ring out as loudly as Iron Maiden or Judas Priest, but in the underworld of 1980s European heavy metal, they were more than just a blip on the radar. Their 1984 LP Glove Me , released under the gritty, cult-favorite Mausoleum Records, is a heavy metal gem, dripping with all the sweat, swagger, and sleaze that defined the era. This is a record that captures a moment in time, a snapshot of a band pushing the boundaries of a genre that was still very much in its infancy in the European underground.
The Context: A Metal World in Transition
The early 1980s were a time of seismic shifts in the metal landscape. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was spreading like wildfire, igniting a new breed of bands across Europe. Belgium, while not the epicenter of this revolution, was home to a burgeoning scene that was hungry to leave its mark. Enter Steelover , a band that took the raw energy of NWOBHM and filtered it through their own blend of melodic sensibilities and glam-infused attitude.
By 1984, heavy metal was both splintering into various subgenres and simultaneously solidifying its identity. Bands like Def Leppard were polishing their sound for mass appeal, while others doubled down on the grit and grind. Steelover found themselves at this crossroads, balancing the desire for accessibility with a commitment to the raw, unpolished power that defined metal.
Musical Exploration: The Tracks That Cut Deep
Glove Me is a record that doesn't waste time. Kicking off with "Forever," you're immediately hit with an anthem that distills the essence of Steelover : melodic hooks wrapped in a tough, leather-clad exterior. This is followed by "Give It Up," a faster, punchier track that showcases the band’s ability to switch gears without losing momentum. The guitars, courtesy of Henri ‘Harry’ Sluysmans, slice through the mix with razor-sharp precision, while Michel 'Mitch' Michaelis’ vocals soar above with a gritty yet melodic edge.
"Rock Bottle" keeps the energy high with a rhythm that nods to classic rock and roll but with a metallic sheen that gives it an edge. "Hold Tight" and "Need The Heat" continue this trend, delivering tight, concise blasts of metal that are as catchy as they are relentless. The production here doesn’t aim for perfection—it’s raw, immediate, and in-your-face, exactly what you’d want from a band looking to make a statement.
Side Two opens with "Struck Down," a track that slows things down just a touch, allowing for a heavier, more deliberate groove to take hold. It’s the kind of track that makes you imagine a crowd of headbangers moving in unison, fists in the air. "I’ve Got…" and "Oh Baby" follow, both tracks that blend a certain glam swagger with the band’s heavy metal roots. There's a sense of fun here, a wink and a nod that shows Steelover knew how to balance seriousness with the theatrical flair that was becoming a hallmark of 80s metal.
But then there’s "Hey Tonight," a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic penned by John Fogerty. It’s a surprising choice, but Steelover manages to inject enough of their own style into the track to make it fit within the album’s framework. It’s a bit of a curveball, sure, but it works, providing a brief detour before the closing track, "Never Before," brings the album to a hard-hitting conclusion.
Genre: A Metal Band with a Glam Twist
Musically, Glove Me sits at an interesting intersection. It’s undeniably a metal album, but it’s not afraid to flirt with glam rock's more flamboyant elements. This is metal with a touch of lipstick and leather, music that’s as much about attitude as it is about riffage. The melodies are big, the choruses are bigger, and there’s an undercurrent of glam’s theatricality that makes the album feel larger-than-life.
However, this blend wasn’t without its controversies. At a time when metal purists were fiercely protective of the genre’s integrity, bands like Steelover that incorporated glam elements often found themselves at odds with certain factions of the fanbase. Some viewed the band’s image and sound as too polished, too commercial. But in reality, Glove Me is anything but a slick, overproduced record. It’s raw, it’s energetic, and it has a certain roughness around the edges that gives it an authentic, street-level appeal.
Production and Recording: Capturing Lightning in a Bottle
The production of Glove Me was helmed by Alfie Falckenbach, a figure synonymous with Mausoleum Records and the European metal scene. The recording sessions took place at Kritz Studios in Belgium, a relatively modest setup that belied the album’s larger-than-life sound. Falckenbach’s approach was straightforward: capture the band’s live energy and let the music speak for itself. There’s a sense of immediacy in the recording, a feeling that what you’re hearing is a band playing with passion and conviction, rather than being bogged down by endless takes and overdubs.
The mix is raw, with the guitars and drums pushed to the forefront, allowing every riff and every crash of the cymbals to hit with full force. Michaelis’ vocals are slightly buried in the mix, giving the impression that he’s straining to be heard over the cacophony—a fitting metaphor for the band’s fight to carve out their place in a crowded scene. This isn’t an album that’s trying to be perfect; it’s an album that’s trying to be real.
Conclusion: The Sound of a Band on the Edge
Glove Me is a record that captures a band on the edge—on the edge of the mainstream, on the edge of a genre’s evolution, and on the edge of a scene that was both embracing and rejecting them. Steelover didn’t go on to become household names, but with this album, they left behind a testament to a time when heavy metal was still wild, still unpredictable, and still very much alive.
In the end, Glove Me is more than just a collection of songs—it’s a statement. A middle finger to those who said metal couldn’t be fun, a challenge to those who said it had to fit into a certain mold. It’s a record that dares you to hold tight, feel the heat, and give it up for a band that played their hearts out, whether you were listening or not.
