Which Track Has the Upper Hand on Running Wild's “Black Hand Inn” ?

Note: Sorry I'm late with this poll. I was at a convention in Los Angeles Saturday and didn't get home until late

Released on March 24, 1994, Black Hand Inn is a concept album of sorts that follows the story of character John Xenir who was burned at the stake with only his charred hand remaining. Resurrected somehow, he starts a fortune telling business in The Black Hand Inn. To be honest, I didn’t know there was a concept until researching the album for this poll. To me, this album was just a collection of bad-ass songs.

Blazon Stone and Pile of Skulls were tough polls because there were not, in my opinion, any obvious stand-out tracks. Black Hand Inn poses a different problem. There are SO MANY stand-out tracks. After I started listening to this album, it quickly became my second favorite behind Port Royal and, like Port Royal, so many of my all-time favorite RW tracks are on this album.

Favorite songs of mine include the catchy “Soulless” and “The Privateer.” “The Phantom of Black Hand Hill” is also an excellent songs. It’s not as catchy as the former two tracks, but is heavier and really flies. I could see voting for any of these three, but there are two other tracks even better, in my opinion.

The infectious grooves in “Fight The Fire of Hate” makes me want to dance. Really! I listen to it all the time. It almost got my vote, too, but there is one other song I skip through my mp3 player to hear time and time again. That song is “Mr. Deadhead.” I think I am addicted to it. The drums are the key. They make this song kick so much ass. Then when they kick in right at the end—AWESOME!


I'm wondering if posting a video for these albums would help boost participation. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a video with the full Black Hand Inn album, but this is the start to a playlist. Not sure if it will automatically go to different tracks here, but it gets the ball rolling:

My Vote:

Fight the Fire of Hate, but every song is awesome. My favorite album of theirs.

The Phantom of Black Hand Hill gets my vote. It was the first song to pop into my head.

No further votes?

The Privateer. That machinegun guitars are sooooo good.
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The first RW album I got and one of the best metal cds ever released. The entire album smokes! Soulless is awesome.

that reminds me. Gonna pull it out and play it loud in my car tomorrow morning.

Gilbert wrote:

The entire album smokes! Soulless is awesome.

Fight The Fire Of Hate is one of my all time favorite metal songs so this was a no brainer for me.

I went Privateer. This was my first RW cd and i got it from goodwill.

This was the first RW I heard also, and gotta go with 'fight the fire of hate'. That song is kind of the obvious anthem of the album, but I also really like the track 'genesis'.

Funny, the note at the top of the thread mentioned I was late with the poll (like, would anyone notice, haha) because I was at a convention. I'm leaving for that same convention in two days.

"Fight the Fire of Hate" is awesome. There are so many incredible songs on this album. It's my second favorite RW album.

Freewind Rider. It's a Priest-clone through and through but damn the energy is relentless. Love that double-stop-filled riff.

Killer album!

Freewind rider is indeed an awesome song.

I didn't realize until recently that genesis has the whole annunaki alien story line going on, haha.