In 1985 we were in the nearing the heyday of the "hair band" era with a new (quote un quote) 'metal' band coming out every 45 seconds or so on MTV. Quietly in the middle of all this mediocrity came from the Great White North of Canada a serious band that could really PLAY! Wow, now there's a novel idea...a rock n' roll 'heavy metal' band that had real musical ability instead of glammor-boy/girl looks and lots of stupid clothes. These guys had the hair and all...but they were far from glammy. True, Helix first rocked the world a couple years earlier on the excellent "No Rest For The Wicked" (album) CD, but I believe they put all the pieces together just right on 85's "Long Way To Heaven." The music is just excellent, yet admittedly simple, rock n' roll that pulls few punches and is fun as hell to listen to. Every song on this steller album stands on its own merits and it's just too bad that Helix never got the press or radio (over)exposure that lesser-talented bands like Def Leppard, Poison, or Warrant got. Helix was a band that was cool to like because they weren't over-commercialized pretty boys that were short on talent and ridiculously long (or high) on hair. If the hair band era would have been more about musicianship and good music instead of image and mascara and spandex, it wouldn't have the rep it does today. Helix was firing on all cylinders on this one and it's certainly worth picking up by any true fan of rock n' roll. And you can play LOUD and very PROUD! HELIX