half-ALIVE was the first official live album

Live album

A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...

 by Canadian heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Helix

Helix (band)

Helix are a Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band. They formed in 1974, and are best known for their 1984 single "Rock You". The original lineup was formed by drummer Bruce Arnold, and consisted of lead vocalist Brian Vollmer, guitarists Ron Watson and Rick "Minstrel" Trembley, keyboardist Don...

, following the promotional-only Live At The Marquee. It was also their 11th album altogether and featured five new studio

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 songs. It was their only release on DeROCK Records and was recorded at various gigs throughout the 90's.

History

half-ALIVE features varying lineups of Helix, as the band's membership was in a state of flux following the death of guitarist Paul Hackman

Paul Hackman

Paul Wayne Hackman was a Canadian guitarist who performed with the rock band Helix from 1976 until his death in a road accident...

 and the tour for It's a Business Doing Pleasure

It's a Business Doing Pleasure

-Credits:Produced by Marc Ribler & Tom TreumuthRecorded at Hypnotic Studios, Toronto, November 1992-Helix:* Brian Vollmer - lead vocals* Brent "The Doctor" Doerner - lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars, background vocals...

. In 1997, original member Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Helix was formed in 1974 by original drummer Bruce Arnold. Since that time, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to defacto leader of band, weathering numerous lineup changes...

 and longtime bassist Daryl Gray had to decide whether to keep the band going or to break up. Choosing to stay together, a new release was required or, according to Vollmer, "the live dates were sure to slowly dry up. We had several tracks which were never recorded plus a live album still in the cans, so we decided on putting out a CD which would contain some unreleased tracks and the rest live material." The studio songs included one written but never recorded by bass player Mike Uzelac who was in Helix from 1980 to 1983.

Studio songs

1. Shock City Psycho Rock (Mike Uzelac)

• Brian Vollmer
  Brian Vollmer
  Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Helix was formed in 1974 by original drummer Bruce Arnold. Since that time, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to defacto leader of band, weathering numerous lineup changes...
  
   - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, vocals, keyboards, percussion, talk box, kazoo
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums
• Gary Borden - rhythm guitars
• Mark Chichkan - lead and slide guitars, vocals
• Tim Louis - honky tonk piano
• Jenifer St. John - piano and keyboards

2. Wrecking Ball (Mark Chichkan, Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Helix was formed in 1974 by original drummer Bruce Arnold. Since that time, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to defacto leader of band, weathering numerous lineup changes...

, Daryl Gray, Gary Borden, Greg Hinz)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, vocals, piano, percussion
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums & cowbell
• Gary Borden - rhythm guitars
• Mark Chichkan - lead guitars, vocals

3. The Pusher

The Pusher

"The Pusher" is a rock song written by Hoyt Axton, made popular by the 1969 movie Easy Rider which used Steppenwolf's version to accompany the opening scenes of drug trafficking....

 (Hoyt Axton

Hoyt Axton

Hoyt Wayne Axton was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well...

)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Dary Gray - bass, keyboards, percussion
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums
• Gary Borden - rhythm guitars
• Brent "The Doctor" Doerner - guitar and solos

4. Big Bang Boom (Vollmer, Marc Ribler)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, percussion
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums
• Paul Hackman
  Paul Hackman
  Paul Wayne Hackman was a Canadian guitarist who performed with the rock band Helix from 1976 until his death in a road accident...
  
   - guitars
• Brent "The Doctor" Doerner - guitars

5. The Same Room (Bushey, Chip Gall, Huff, Weir)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Dary Gray - acoustic guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals
• Jamie Constant - drums
• Rick Mead - guitars
• Chip Gall - guitars
• Doug Ennis - cello

Live songs

6. No Rest For The Wicked (Vollmer)

7. Dirty Dog (Vollmer, Brent Doerner)

8. Runnin' Wild In The 21st Century (Voller, Hackman

Paul Hackman

Paul Wayne Hackman was a Canadian guitarist who performed with the rock band Helix from 1976 until his death in a road accident...

)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, vocals
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums
• Gary Borden - guitar, vocals
• Mark Chichkan - lead guitar, vocals

9. Animal House (Vollmer, Hackman)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, vocals
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums
• Paul Hackman - guitar, vocals
• Denny Balicki - guitar, vocals

10. When The Hammer Falls (Vollmer, Hackman)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, vocals
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums
• Gary Borden - guitar, vocals
• Mark Chichkan - lead guitar, vocals

11. Deep Cuts The Knife (Bob Halligan, Jr., Hackman)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, keyboards, vocals
• Glen "Archie" Gamble
  Glen "Archie" Gamble
  Glen "Archie" Gamble is a drummer from London, Ontario, Canada and is best known for his tenure in Helix. He has played with some classic rock bands, both as a side-man and in an opening capacity: Kiss, Alice Cooper, Vince Neil, Paul Rodgers, Robert Plant, as well as some younger bands: Sum 41,...
  
   - drums
• Gary Borden - lead guitars
• Rick Mead - guitars

12. Smile (Borden)

• Gary Borden - acoustic guitar

13. Good To The Last Drop (Vollmer, Ribler)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, vocals
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums
• Gary Borden - guitar, vocals
• Mark Chichkan - lead guitar, vocals

14. Heavy Metal Love (Vollmer, Hackman)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, keyboards, vocals
• Glen "Archie" Gamble - drums
• Gary Borden - lead guitars
• Rick Mead - guitars

15. Wild In The Streets (Hackman, Ray Lyell

Ray Lyell

Ray Lyell is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and vocal coach.-Career:Ray Lyell came to prominence with his band, The Storm, in the late 1980s. Ray Lyell and the Storm released their self-titled debut album in 1989. Its first single, Another Man's Gun, scored No. 6 on the AOR charts...

)

16. Rock You

Rock You

Sum 41 covered this Helix song for the soundtrack to the movie Fubar. The soundtrack featured classic Canadian rock songs covered by current Canadian rock artists.-Personnel:* Steve Jocz - Vocals* Jason "Cone" McCaslin - Bass* Dave "Brownsound" Baksh - Guitar...

 (Halligan)

• Brian Vollmer - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, vocals
• Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums
• Paul Hackman - guitar, vocals
• Denny Balicki - guitar, vocals

Credits

Produced by Daryl Gray

Mixed by Dan Brodbeck at DB Record Studios, London, Ontario

London, Ontario

London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

Helix at the time of release

• Brian Vollmer
  Brian Vollmer
  Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Helix was formed in 1974 by original drummer Bruce Arnold. Since that time, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to defacto leader of band, weathering numerous lineup changes...
  
   - lead vocals
• Daryl Gray - bass, keyboards, vocals
• Glen "Archie" Gamble
  Glen "Archie" Gamble
  Glen "Archie" Gamble is a drummer from London, Ontario, Canada and is best known for his tenure in Helix. He has played with some classic rock bands, both as a side-man and in an opening capacity: Kiss, Alice Cooper, Vince Neil, Paul Rodgers, Robert Plant, as well as some younger bands: Sum 41,...
  
  - drums
• Gary Borden - guitars
• Rick Mead - guitars

Mark Chichkan Lead guitar/vocals