Mark was in W.A.S.P. for about 5 minutes back in 2006 but he finds himself in a much better band circa 2012 for sure. Considering Rex and Vinny have done some pretty stellar work in their previous bands this album stands up to their legacy. Sure it isn't genre defining and isn't going to be the answer to Pantera or the second coming of Dio but it's damn good for sure. Kill Devil Hill have done what too many new bands with older members fail to do and that is write modern kick ass hard rock.
Album opener "War Machine" is a hot nu-metal styled rocker that delivers and showcases the members as a band with nobody getting billing over the other. It sounds cohesive and honest and that feeling continues throughout the album. I have to say Dewey is impressive as a vocalist he's clear and present and sounds like a pro without being too abbrasive which was always a complaint I had about Phil Anselmo. When he does some screaming and rock moaning in the Robert Plant playground on "Rise From The Shadows" he still retains presence without hurting your ears.
Much of the album is a mid-tempo affair but with solid songwriting and great production it doesn't make the album come off as carbon copied versions of the previous song. Each tune has its own thing going on which is nice considering that usually nu-metal or grinding type metal all sounds the same after a few songs. I like the song "Strange" a lot and this should be considered as a single for them as it has crossover potential to modern rock radio and rock radio. I'm sure Octane will be all over this band which will be nice to hear less Avenged Sevenfold at this point.
"Old Man" reminds me of later era Dio at times in composition. I love the guitar riff of the song and the near Deep Purple dancing groove that plays through. The boys slow it down with a very Zep styled "Mysterious Ways" an excellent tune and is right now my favorite song on the album. It's got some nice acoustic guitar playing and Dewey's swirling vocal paterns fit the melody perfectly. The next track is very heavy Alice In Chains spirited rocker that would sound comfortable on one of their albums.
In closing the band tracks twelve tunes and closer "Revenge" which is just as good as anything on the album and is a little more playful than the previous eleven songs. I like Vinny's drumming here and again the very Yngwie meets Blackmore guitar riffing is solid as a rock. Overall this album is a great listen and I can see this doing decent business at radio be it satellite or FM.
0 comments:
Post a Comment