Sleaze Metal – Power Of Metal.dk

Ross The Boss – By Blood Sworn

Markus Falkenberg — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 17:35:53 +0000

Yes sure, the album has been out for quite a while, but just in case that you are wondering about giving yourself a treat for Christmas we decided to write our own very own review as well. So, how should an old school Metalfan feel about the album? Is it an ode to a better time when Ross’ first band Manowar was still free from any scandal? Is it reminiscent of a time when it was still okay for a band to bath in baby oil and pose in fur thongs while holding a plastic sword high up in the air? Is it something that will inspire your warrior’s spirit to walk the path of the warrior straight to Odin’s hall? Maybe.

Yes, maybe. In fact it all depends on your personal musical horizon. If it is entirely focused on Power Metal then you will likely find the album at least a bit disappointing, but if you appreciate at least some Sleaze Metal then you are definitely like to enjoy it, because this album is certainly an interesting mix of both genres. Some songs like the introductory “By Blood Sworn” are very Power Metal style, for instance. Think of a mid paced Manowar song to get an idea. Not very innovative, but still with a nice vibe. However, Ross The Boss’ can still do faster Power Metal as shown with “This Is Vengeance”. Glorious lyrics of battle and revenge, guitar solos, screams, clear vocals, i.e. pretty straightforward ‘go for the kill’ style Power Metal! And yet, that is about it for the true Power Metal fan. Yes sure, there is still a Power Metal ballad going by the title “Faith of the Fallen” which is not bad, but 3 songs are a bit disappointing, particularly when they are not the best of the best the genre can offer.

And yet, the album is still not bad because of the aforementioned Sleaze Metal on the album. Quite to the contrary! Think 1980s Skid Row with Joey DeMaio behind the bass and Scott Columbus behind the drums doing their best to truly support Skid Row as good as they possibly can! Take “Among the Bones”, for instance. Pure Sleaze Metal! And the same can be said for pretty much all other not already mentioned songs. Sleaze Metal! The riffs, the solos, the vibe, everything is there. But then, the underdog mentality that is so inherent in Sleaze Metal is probably a close relative of Power Metal’s warrior spirit anyway. So, to switch from Power Metal to Sleaze Metal does likely not take much effort and Ross The Boss might very well be advised to explore this path even further. 7 devils!

Stryper – God Damn Evil

Markus Falkenberg — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 10:12:36 +0000

“Sing unto Him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.”

Psalm 33:3

Christian Metal does not exactly have the best reputation in the Metal scene. “Preachy” and “boring” are coming adjectives you hear in this context. However, some Christian Metal bands stand out from the musical mediocrity for which Christian music is still infamous for. Okay, maybe the term “mediocrity” is no longer adequate in this context (maybe), but this article is not about the Christian Metal scene anyway, but about one band in particular: Stryper. Yes, Stryper. The band whom you might have had to dodge when they were still throwing Bibles into the audience.

So, what is their latest album like? Actually, it is better than one would expect. Yes, the first song “Take It To The Cross” is a bit “straight in your face” with its message and the chorus is a bit too high pitched and repetitive, but Stryper are still a Metal band and sometimes subtlety just does not cut it in our beloved genre. So yeah, maybe it was a good idea to put this song at the beginning of the album? You get the obvious out of the way and then you can focus more on what the album is really about, namely surprisingly good music. Take the second song “Sorry”, for instance. It is a slow to midtempo radio friendly 80s Metal style (think Glam/Sleaze Metal) song with excellent guitar work and clean vocals and definitely not a song for which Stryper has to feel sorry for. In this the song is pretty much representative for most of the album. Midtempo range, clean vocals, nice guitar work and that certain Glam/Sleaze Metal feeling. And in a way that is also what feels strange about the album: A Christian Metal band that – musicalwise – seems to be at home in the Sleaze Metal genre. But then, Stryper seems to have felt a bit rebellious when writing the album, or how else can one explain the song title “God Damn Evil”? You can read it as a plea to God to destroy, to damn evil, or you can read it as the more commonly used “goddamn” swearword. Coincidence? Most likely not. Stryper is too experienced as a band to not have expected trouble with the likes of Walmart there.

Last but not least, the rating. How many devils (oh, the irony…) does the album deserve? The album might not be a musical epithany, but it is fun, entertaining and feels only mildly preachy at best. They are a Christian Metal band after all and they don’t hide their faith, and why should they? Anyway, 8 devils!