Thirty-three years is a long time to be in any kind of business. To last that long in the world of heavy metal is a phenomenal achievement. And to put out a record of such outstanding quality as Razorback Killers is nothing short of a miracle.

By the time I discovered Vicious Rumors in the late 80s, they'd already been around for ten years. They came up in the same Bay Area metal scene that produced the likes of Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus and so many more, but whereas those bands could be called “thrash metal,” Vicious Rumors stuck to the tried-and-true template established by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Accept, only with more speed and vigor. The band unleashed some great efforts like Welcome To The Ball and their self-titled album, but were badly hurt by the tragic death of their great vocalist Carl Albert in the early 90s. The switch towards grunge and rap music didn't help their cause much either.

Vicious Rumors soldiered on and in 2011 have released the best record of their career in Razorback Killers. This one will stay nestled next to the likes of Priest's British Steel, Maiden's Piece of Mind and Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime on my record rack. It is that good. In fact, I'll say if you don't like this album, don't consider yourself a metal fan, because it has got the total package and more. This will very likely be my top pick of 2011.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011  Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.

This is about as strong as a straightforward heavy metal song can get. One thing you notice right away is that the band has got a monster vocalist in Brian Allen...crystal clear, melodic and full of blood and thunder. He's the man Vicious Rumors has been waiting for since the untimely death of Carl Albert in 1994. This power-packed number has all the VR trademarks such as magnificent guitar work, but it's just the tip of the iceberg as far as Razorback Killers goes.