2007-10-01
I already have two former albums by this veteran German thrash/speed metal band, and they're both pretty solid traditional metal albums, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by just how good this one, the band's fourth studio album was.
Some observations, the music is almost completely written by drummer Peter Breitenbach, quite rare for a metal band, while the vocalist – Michael A. Mueller, writes the lyrics and wrote one track – Battle Royale – on his own.
Second – the sound, also by Breitenbach is prefect for the band, it's well produced, the guitars and drums are steady in the center of the mix, while the vocals are well placed enough not to disappear in this quite compressed mix. The result is a very heavy sounding album, especially for a three-men unite, which adds to the feeling of energy and aggression on it.
The album opens with one of the fastest and most aggressive cuts on it, Thanx Killing has a killer riff, and it's also one of the more complex and proggy songs in here. It all works, great drumming, with plenty of double bass hits in there, strong melodic vocals, and some nifty guitar playing. It sounds well put together and adult; it definitely has an old-school feel to it, but refined and quite contemporary nevertheless.
Lies! Sees vocalist Mueller revert to a voice which brought Udo to mind, high-pitched and quite aggressive, he still manages to pull it off. Another band member who performs well here is guitarist Stefan Rolf, who adds a great melodic lead which elevates the track. The title cut is another solid song, with some strong riffing and interesting drumming dynamics near its end.
Battle Royale, based on the infamous Japanese flick, is more basic, down-to-earth metal, with a simple yet catchy riff, and a great chorus which really shows off Mueller's talent in creating memorable vocal lines.
There really are no fillers on this album, Deatheater is one fast and fun number that
Works well, Zombie Ride again sees all the band members perform with amazing quality and restraint, I can't find a single fault here. The lyrics, quite well written and interesting are another plus, usually bands in this genre don't really try and say anything with their lyrics, and these guys do.
It's good to know some bands only get better with age, this guys prove it can be done, and this is easily one of the more enjoyable metal album's I've heard recently.
Alon Miasnikov
