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Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews

Burnt Out Wreck

Swallow

Review by Gary Hill

This is the new band fronted by Heavy Pettin's drummer Gary Moat. These guys are very much old school hard rock, but I'd say there is enough metal in the mix to keep it real. The closest comparison here is AC/DC. In fact, a lot of this sounds very much like AC/DC. The two openers are the strongest cuts here, but there is nothing that's weak. It does have a little bit of a monolithic texture. That said, it's never enough to get in the way of the enjoyment of the set. All in all, this is a powerhouse album that should appeal particularly to fans of AC/DC.

 

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Burnt out Wreck

The guitar riff that opens this feels like it could have been at home on the Scorpions' Blackout album.  The vocals are closer to Krokus. This has some great hooks and is a classy metal stomper. It's mid-tempo and very effective.

Swallow

Now, this sounds so much like AC/DC that it's scary. The vocals are very much Bon Scott influenced. In fact, it wouldn't take much for me to be led to believe that this was some long lost Scott era AC/DC song. It's a catchy, riff driven stomper that works really well.

She's the One

I suppose you could say that this cut has an AC/DC vibe, too. It's not nearly as blatant as that on the previous cut, though. this is just a solid hard rocking metal stomper.  I don't think that song is as effective as the two that came before it. That's more about how strong those were, though.

Pullin' It Out

The guitar soloing on this cut really steals the show. That's not because of any weakness on the rest of what's going on, though. It's just that the solo is so good. This again makes me think of Bon Scott era AC/DC to some degree.

Talk About Love

No big changes here, this is just more screaming meaty hard rock. It has some screaming guitar soloing.

Medusa
I love the killer riff driving this thing.  It's another AC/DC like stomper. Still, it works really well. The hooks on it are definitely catchy.
Flames

Now, this brings some variety. It opens with a mellower kind of jam. Then it screams out into some appropriately scorching hot hard rocking metal. There is almost a bit of a Southern rock vibe to that part. The cut drops back to mellower stuff for the vocals. Again, the singing is Bon Scott-like, but the song really doesn't feel like AC/DC. Perhaps it's closer to an NWOBHM vibe, but with a bit of southern bluesy rock in the mix. Overall, this is a mid-tempo grind. It's one of the most dynamic cuts on the whole album. 

She's a Dirty Love
A hard rocker at its core, this is another that feels very much like AC/DC. It's a hot rocker, but not a real standout.
Your Love (Is All I Need)

This is a major change. It's more of a melodic classic rock styled tune. While I like the variety that this brings, it's not nearly as effective as the rest of the music here. The multiple layers of the vocal arrangement work well, though. The harder rocking grind at the end is stronger.

Rockingman

Bluesy hard rock is the sound that leads this out of the gate. The vocals join and we're back into AC/DC territory. This is another that feels like it could be a long lost Bon Scott era AC/DC song.

Best of Your Life

I love the metal riffing on this cut. It's one of the least AC/DC like tunes here. I dig the mellower groove mid-track.

 
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