Review Summary: Manly but... not as much as it looks like.
Quartz is a group that predated the NWOBHM; they had been active as Bandy Legs since 1974 before releasing their self-titled debut in 1977. Just like Judas Priest, Motorhead or even Black Sabbath, they actually became associated with that movement some years into their career, but unlike those prolific peers of theirs who managed to only be temporarily attached to that acronym, using it as a pivot point to reinvigorate their careers, Quartz just rode the bandwagon up to the point when the scene declined, disbanding in 1984. They made a brief reunion in 1996 and again in 2016.
Stand up and Fight, which is their most known work, was created by musicians who were around their mid-thirties when it was released in 1980, and maybe that can shed some light on why it didn't display the same amount of high-energy some younger bands offered us that same year (i.e. Maiden, Angel Witch, Tygers of Pan Tang). Vocalist Mike "Taffy" Taylor (RIP) somehow tried to spice up what turned out to be, for the most part, a mid-paced, simply structured hard rock album with some scattered bluesy undertones guitar-wise. In all honesty, this could have been released some years earlier as Quartz's overall approach probably sounded a bit safe, if not dated, even back then. What rubs me the wrong way the most is that moments here that could make the barbarian on the cover nod in approval are really scarce (e.g. the intro verse of "Stoking up the Fires of Hell" or "Revenge" and perhaps the opener). Speaking of which, the track order seems a miss. "Revenge" should have followed the title track, and I'm not sure if that song about weed sounds more out of place than the one about coke; some of the most interesting songs are buried down the middle of the tracklist and some just exist for no reason at all. On the upside, I enjoy the way this one's mixed. The guitars actually suffer a bit by a 'thinness' that was a common hurdle back then, especially when you didn't have the appropriate budget to support production, but I really appreciate that the bass and drums were given space. The most enjoyable aspect of this band is its stout rhythm section: Derek Arnold and Malcolm Cope being front spot is something that grants an organic and groove-laden feel, even to some of the weaker tracks present. It's one of those old school cases of a studio album that manages to sound live without being sloppy or overly raw.
That being said, one could probably understand why these guys didn't last and disbanded after releasing one more album three years down the road. Their works were decent enough to carry them through during that early part of the decade when NWOBHM was a thing, landing them a spot as an opening act for some more successful bands from that era; however, other than the manly cover, there are simply no truly memorable offerings here, no distinct musical direction, nothing that really stands out and could act as a foundation for a successful and lasting career. Quartz were followers, not leaders. All things considered, Stand up and Fight as a whole might sound more satisfying to fans of '70s hard rock than to strict metal enthusiasts. If you belong to the latter, you can still give this a chance, but you could save some time by sticking to the approved tracks mentioned earlier.
