Odin - Live At The Maxim (1971/2007)

Immortalized by documentary director Penelope Spheeris' gloriously decadent The Decline and Fall of Western Civilization, Pt. II: The Metal Years, Los Angeles-based heavy metal/hard rock outfit Odin were a dominant force on the early-'80s Sunset Strip scene. One of the city's fastest-rising cult acts, the group endured some membership changes during their formative years -- early Metallica guitarist Damien C. Phillips, aka Brad Parker, played on Odin's debut EP, Caution, in 1983 -- but eventually settled on a core lineup that included Randy O. Roberg (vocals), Jeff Duncan (guitar), Aaron Samson (bass), and Shawn Duncan (drums), all of whom appeared on the band's 1985 EP Don't Take No for an Answer. High-profile slots alongside contemporaries like Warrant, W.A.S.P., Ratt, Tesla, Dokken, Armored Saint, Bang Tango, and Keel followed, as did that infamous silver screen appearance and a second EP, 1986's The Gods Must Be Crazy, but by 1988 the band had ceased operations -- their EPs and assorted singles were eventually compiled into two separate releases, Fight for Your Life and By the Gods, by Perris Records. The original lineup, sans Roberg, returned to the stage in 2017 for a string of one-off shows, and in 2018 they inked a deal with Cleopatra, which released the Best of Odin, featuring a brand new track, as well as a previously unreleased live cut.