HAWAII - The Natives Are Restless 12" Vinyl LP Album

- Honolulu speed metal saga with Marty Friedman riffs rare vinyl photos and track deep dive

Album Front cover Photo of The Natives Are Restless https://vinyl-records.nl/

"The Natives Are Restless" is the second and final studio album by Hawaiian heavy metal band HAWAII, released in 1985 in Germany. Featuring guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman, the album delivers fast, technical riffs, melodic solos, and high-energy vocals that reflect the raw power of early U.S. metal. With a sharper production and a more mature sound than their debut, the record blends NWOBHM influences with American speed metal. Tracks like “Living in Sin” and “Motorcycle Maniac” highlight the band’s aggressive yet catchy style. Though overlooked at the time, the album has gained cult status among collectors of 1980s underground metal.

Album Description:

In the world of heavy metal, there are albums that stand the test of time, and then there are albums that become legendary. "The Natives Are Restless" by Hawaii undoubtedly falls into the latter category. Released in 1985, this 12" vinyl LP marked the pinnacle of Hawaii's career and left an indelible mark on the heavy metal and hard rock scene of the era.

Background:
Hawaii, hailing from Honolulu, was a powerhouse in the Power and Speed Metal genres. This album, "The Natives Are Restless", would be their final official full-length studio release. The band's music was characterized by its energetic guitar work, soaring vocals, and a unique blend of melodic sensibilities with the raw power of metal. The album's creation involved a team of dedicated individuals, including the band members themselves and key figures in the music industry.

Production Team:
The album's production was helmed by Hawaii themselves, taking full creative control over their sound. Executive producers Darryl Amaki and Harris Okuda provided valuable support and guidance throughout the production process. Their expertise helped shape the album into the masterpiece it became.

Recording Process:
"The Natives Are Restless" came to life at the RendezVous Recording Studio during March and April of 1985. Located in a picturesque setting in Honolulu, this studio served as the backdrop for the creation of this remarkable album. Under the guidance of sound engineer Pierre Grille, the band captured their raw energy and musical prowess, resulting in a sound that would resonate with fans for decades to come.

Band Lineup:
Hawaii's lineup for this album was nothing short of exceptional:

- Eddie Day: Vocals
- Marty Friedman: Guitar
- Tom Azevedo: Guitar
- Joey Galisa: Bass
- Jeff Graves: Drums

Eddie Day's powerful and distinctive vocals added a unique layer to the band's music, while the twin guitar assault of Marty Friedman and Tom Azevedo provided the album's signature riffs and solos. Joey Galisa's thundering bass and Jeff Graves' precise drumming locked in the rhythmic foundation that allowed the songs to soar.

The Album Itself:
"The Natives Are Restless" is a timeless classic that showcases Hawaii's musical prowess. The album kicks off with the thunderous "Bad Boys of Metal", a track that sets the tone for the entire record with its blistering guitar work and Eddie Day's commanding vocals. Songs like "Call of the Wild" and "Living in Sin" continue the onslaught with their anthemic choruses and intricate guitar solos.

One of the standout tracks on the album is "Escape the Night", a melodic masterpiece that perfectly encapsulates the band's ability to blend melody and heaviness. Eddie Day's vocals shine on this track, conveying a sense of longing and desire. The album closes with the epic "Take What You Want", a sprawling composition that showcases the band's musical virtuosity.

Legacy:
"The Natives Are Restless" may have marked the end of Hawaii as a band, but it left an enduring legacy in the world of heavy metal. Marty Friedman would go on to achieve international fame with his work in bands like Megadeth, and the album itself remains a beloved classic among metal enthusiasts and collectors.

Essential Album Information For: HAWAII - The Natives Are Restless

Music Genre:

Power / Speed Metal

Label & Catalognr:

SteamHammer SH 0034

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram  

Year & Country:

1985 Made in Germany

Production & Recording Information

Producers:

HAWAII - Producer

Darryl Amaki - Executive Producer

Harris Okuda - Executive Producer

Sound & Recording Engineers:

Pierre Grille - Sound Engineer

Recording Location:

"The Natives Are Restless" was recorded at the RendezVous Recording Studio during March - April 1985

Logo Design:

James Alois

Photography:

Photos by Todd Kakazu

Musicians on: HAWAII - The Natives Are Restless

Band-members, Musicians:

Eddie Day - Vocals

Marty Friedman - Guitar

Marty Friedman is a genre-blending guitar virtuoso best known for his time with Megadeth , where his melodic, exotic solos helped define albums like Rust in Peace. Born in 1962, he later moved to Japan, diving into J-pop, TV, and solo projects. With a career spanning thrash to traditional Japanese music, Friedman’s style is as unpredictable as it is brilliant. Visit his biography

Tom Azevedo - Guitar

Joey Galisa - Bass

Jeff Graves - Drums

Track-listing of: HAWAII - The Natives Are Restless

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. Call of the Wild
  2. Turn it Louder
  3. V.P.H.B
  4. Beg for Mercy
Video: Call Of The Wild - HAWAII
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Unfinished Business
  2. Proud to be Loud
  3. Lies
  4. Dynamite
Video: Beg For Mercy - HAWAII

The Natives Are Restless Album Photo Gallery:

Album Front Cover Photo
Front cover of the 1985 album The Natives Are Restless by the band Hawaii. A dark, volcanic landscape stretches forward in ochre and burnt-orange tones, carved by winding, molten paths. Three massive rock formations dominate the scene; each boulder reveals a human face emerging from the stone, illuminated from within as if lit by lava. Above, the angular yellow logo reads HAWAII with the subtitle THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS in matching type on a black sky.

The cover presents a stark, cinematic tableau: a black sky frames a scorched terrain where molten paths ripple forward like seized waves of heat. Three colossal boulders, each revealing a human face, stare outward—eyes half-lit, features chiseled and weathered—as if ancient guardians are waking beneath the crust.

Internal light glows through fissures in the stone, bathing the faces in amber and burnt orange. The nearest visage is sharply modeled, its expression unreadable—part warning, part invitation—while smaller, receding heads mark the horizon, deepening the sense of distance and dread.

Above the scene, the band’s angular HAWAII logo hovers in faceted gold, casting a hard-edged shadow. Just below it, the title THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS sits in condensed type, anchoring the composition. The palette—charcoal, sienna, sulfur yellow—suggests heat, pressure, and imminent eruption, perfectly matching the album’s speed‑metal intensity.

Album Back Cover Photo
Back cover of the 1985 album The Natives Are Restless by Hawaii. A tightly framed studio portrait shows five band members shoulder-to-shoulder with voluminous 1980s hair, leather, and sleeveless tops; guitar headstocks rise in the background. A gold strip along the bottom carries the complete track listing for both sides, band line-up and production credits, fan-club address, and Steamhammer branding and catalog details.

The back cover is a confrontational studio portrait: five musicians crowd the frame, faces lit from above so cheekbones and curls pop against a pale background. Leather, zippers, and sleeveless tops telegraph mid-’80s metal attitude, while two guitar headstocks peek from behind like totems of the sound.

Along the bottom, a wide gold band delivers the essentials: the full track list for Side One and Side Two, each title separated by diamond marks, followed by the line-up with roles and concise production notes. Small caps and tight spacing keep a lot of information readable without stealing focus from the photo.

At the right edge, the Steamhammer logo and catalog text anchor the release details. The overall design blends star-power pose and utilitarian credits, capturing the period’s mix of glam toughness and precision that defines the album’s speed-metal punch.

Close up of Side One record’s label
Close-up of Side One record label for the 1985 album The Natives Are Restless by Hawaii on Steamhammer. Silver-blue gradient label with the gold Steamhammer winged logo at top; text includes Side One, Stereo 33, SH 0034, GEMA, LC 9002, © 1985 Steamhammer. Center spindle hole and concentric pressing rings are visible. Track list: Call of the wild; Turn it louder; V.P.H.B.; Beg for mercy. Footer: Licensed from Volcanic Records; marketed & manufactured by Steamhammer, a division of SPV; legal rim text around the edge.

A cool silver-blue gradient label sits against matte black vinyl, crowned by the gold, winged Steamhammer logo. The center spindle hole and shallow concentric rings catch the light, evidence of a clean, well-struck pressing.

On the left block: Side One, Stereo 33, and catalog SH 0034. On the right: rights boxes GEMA and LC 9002, with © 1985 Steamhammer. Below the hub, the lines stack in bold hierarchy—HAWAII over THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS—assertive and uncluttered.

The track list follows in neat alignment: Call of the wild, Turn it louder, V.P.H.B., Beg for mercy. The footer notes licensing from Volcanic Records and that it was marketed & manufactured by Steamhammer, a division of SPV, while fine legal text runs the perimeter like a thin halo.

Side Two Close up of record’s label
Close-up of Side Two record label for Hawaii’s 1985 album The Natives Are Restless on Steamhammer. Warm sand-to-gold gradient label with the winged Steamhammer logo at the top. Left block reads Side two, Stereo 33, SH 0034. Right block shows GEMA, LC 9002, and © 1985 Steamhammer. Center spindle hole and pressing rings are visible. Track list printed below the title: Unfinished business; Proud to be loud; Lies; Dynamite. Legal rim text runs around the perimeter.

Side Two’s label glows in a warm sand-to-gold gradient that contrasts with the cooler hue of Side One. The winged Steamhammer emblem crowns the design, its metallic outline catching the light above the spindle hole and soft concentric rings.

To the left, a tidy stack reads Side two, Stereo 33, and SH 0034. To the right, the rights boxes—GEMA and LC 9002—sit over the line © 1985 Steamhammer. Below center, the hierarchy repeats: HAWAII over THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS, followed by the Side Two titles.

The track list sets a tougher, closing cadence—Unfinished business, Proud to be loud, Lies, Dynamite—while fine legal lettering circles the rim like a precise halo, signaling a clean, professional pressing.

Differences between the record labels
Color palette
Side One: silver-blue gradient; Side Two: warm sand/gold gradient.
Side indicator text
Side One prints “Side One”; Side Two prints “Side two” (lowercase “two”).
Track listing
Side One: Call of the wild; Turn it louder; V.P.H.B.; Beg for mercy. Side Two: Unfinished business; Proud to be loud; Lies; Dynamite.
Overall impression
Design hierarchy and identifiers are consistent; mood shifts from cool (Side One) to warm (Side Two).

FEATURED HAWAII ( Band ) VINYL RECORDS

Thumbnail of HAWAII - The Natives Are Restless 12" Vinyl LP Album front cover
HAWAII - The Natives Are Restless

The Natives Are Restless isn’t just an album, it’s a neon-lit eruption from the molten pits of Honolulu, where Marty Friedman’s guitar turns surfboards into chainsaws and Eddie Day howls like a man possessed by both tiki gods and Marshall stacks. It’s raw, reckless, sweaty, and louder than the tropics ever bargained for—a glorious middle finger carved in vinyl.

Visit this 12" Vinyl LP Album
Thumbnail of HAWAII - One Nation Underground Shrapnel 12" LP ALBUM VINYL album front cover
HAWAII - One Nation Underground Shrapnel

One Nation Underground is Hawaii’s baptism by fire, a gnarly slab of vinyl where Marty Friedman’s fretboard screams like a kamikaze dive and the band hammers riffs with all the subtlety of a jackhammer on sacred ground. It’s chaotic, defiant, and soaked in teenage venom—a primal roar from Honolulu’s underbelly daring the world to listen or choke.

Visit this 12" Vinyl LP Album