X-Wild - Savageland

*=Staff's pick	Savageland(intro) Braveheart* Savageland* Collective Mind Murder in Thy Name* Children of the Underground Dragonslair Die Like a Man* Field of Blackbirds Clash of the Titans* Hunting the Damned Chaos Ends*

Genre	Power Metal	Frank Knight	Vocals
Tracks	12	Alex Morgan	Guitar
Runningtime	62 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	---	Jens Becker	Bass
Release	11 June 1996	Stefan Schwarzmann	Drums
Country	Germany	-	Keyboards
Similar artists	Accept, old Running Wild

For whatever reason you had to/wanted to leave Running Wild once upon a time, you might think that forming a band named X-Wild, composing R.W-riffs for the love of your life and naming the debut cd "So What!"(in my eyes meaning something like="So what? We can do it just as good as you, Rolf.....") seem a little bit....childish.

But if we overlook those facts (which is really nothing I take in consideration very often when judging and are never a reason for me not liking albums....as long as they deliver good music they can be up to pretty much anything they like on their spare time) - then this band has made 3 really good albums over the years.

It started back in 1994 with the debut So What!, which was followed by Monster Effect the very year after and the recent (last?) cd by this group came 1996, but is actually the least good one in the series.

But this is still a very good album - the only thing that lower the grades is the couple of too many mid-tempo songs, in which X-Wild doesn't get to show what they really are capable of. It's pretty much standard stuff in those songs, but when the tempo rises, in songs such as Braveheart, Savageland, Die Like a Man, Chaos Ends and Clash of the Titans it's very good.

Alex Morgan is very well capable of producing riffs that Rock'n'Rolf wish he have had back in the days of the old Running Wild, and in his best moments he comes up genius things - true german metalriffs with those extra touches that makes your skinhair curl up.
There are not too many of those on this albumas the earlier ones, though - and that's why it can't be considered as good as the previous albums - but there are quite a few, and that's when it's really good.

The singer is very similar to a certain Mr. Udo Dirkschneider - but in a slightly "light"-version, of course....cause there is, can and will be only one true Udo. :)
Frank Knight has sung backing vocals for Udo on some tracks before, and is also the one narrating in the beginning of Holy on their last album.

Mentionable is also that the production is decent and fully acceptable for -96's standard, and I really like the guitarsound and the vocals are very good - F. Knight is a very good singer of Udo/AcDc-style - I hope to hear him around in other constellations in the future, cause it would be terrible waste of good talent if he doesn't try to make the best out of his gift.

For the ones that want to check X-Wild out, I would strongly recommend first and foremost the second album Monster Effect - or the debut.
There are a few songs too anonymous on this one for me to give it a really good grade.......

No news has been heard of about X-Wild in some years now, and I guess we have to face that they have gone to peaceful slumber by now - but if I got to make a wish, I'd be more than happy to see them back in the scene again.

They have a lot to offer - at least to me.
It is a light version of Running Wild/Udo - but it's nevertheless a version...and I like that. :)

Production	Vocals	Compositions
7,5	9	7

Summary
7,5 chalices of 10 - Tommy

Mat´s opinion: 7 of 10