Metalucifer - Heavy Metal Bulldozer |
Published August 19 2009
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Heavy Metal Ironfists* |
| Genre | Classic Metal/NWOBHM |
Gezolucifer
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Vocals
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| Tracks | 10 |
Gezolucifer
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Guitar
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| Runningtime | 60 Min. |
Elizaveat/Elizabigore
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Guitar
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| Label | Holycaust Records |
Gezolucifer
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Bass
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| Release | 13 March 2009 |
Elizaveat
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Drums
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| Country | Japan |
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Keyboard
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| Similar artists | Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Angel Witch, Cloven Hoof | ||
The newest wave of Japanese Heavy Metal has arrived, and it is indeed, a bulldozer. Metalucifer has once again given us a flight of heavy metal demons on wings of steel, with all of the ambition befitting the rising sons of Lucifer.
Metalucifer have always made it perfectly clear where they stand on the issue of heavy metal, and this album is no exception. They are continuing their quest to eclipse Manowar and Wizard for the most song titles with "Heavy Metal" in, and of this album's tracks no fewer than all of them contain the hallowed phrase! Further, they have managed to eclipse the aforementioned competitors' limp offerings of recent years with this unabashed and absolutely unpretentious heavy metal album.
Early on, the issue of language arises, as this album is sung nearly entirely in Japanese! Normally, this would be a major sticking point for many listeners, but I do not feel that this will be the case with Heavy Metal Bulldozer, as the vocals are delivered with such attitude that a quick perusal of the song titles - and remembering this band's "heavy metal uber alles" attitude - will give a good approximation of the lyrical content, and will actually complement the splendid music that these warriors have offered to us. For those who must have the album in their native tongue, fear not - Iron Pegasus records has released a German-language version of the album, and RIP records has released one in English. Clearly, Metalucifer is branching out to a more international audience, and with this Beast from the East they could well enter the ranks of the true metal elite.
Fans of early heavy metal will find in Heavy Metal Bulldozer an album tailor-made to their tastes. Gezolucifer's vocals are gruff, but not in an extreme metal sort of way. No, his is the leather-throated growl-and-wail of great singers such as Paul Di'Anno, Steve Grimmet, and Cronos, which is a perfect touch to all of the NWOBHM worship which seems to abound on this album.
The guitar work is straight out of heavy metal's glory days. There are lots of early Iron Maiden-sounding guitar solo battles, soaring twin leads, and chugging bass-string riffs. The bass guitar is of the dirty, growling variety, and it blazes along with the drums - which never do anything particularly exceptional, except to provide the solid classic metal drive for the album, a task to which Elizaveat proves himself quite suited.
The production is suitably lo-fi for the aesthetics desired, but not so much so that the album is in any way difficult or unpleasant to listen to. All of the guitar work is nice and clear, and the vocals are right up front with the guitars. No element ever overpowers any of its counterparts. In fact, despite the gritty, stripped-down sound of the recording, it is one of the better mixed albums to meet my ears in many years! High-budget producers would do well to listen to this album, and listen well.
From the beginning, this album hits hard with the very Accept-like Heavy Metal Ironfists, and it doesn't relent. Following with the speedy anthems Heavy Metal Bulldozer and Heavy Metal Battleaxe, the samurai slow it down to anthemic Judas Priest territory for Heavy Metal Warriors and Heavy Metal Highway Rider. The latter of these would have fit nicely on any of the hallowed late 70s Judas Priest albums.
Heavy Metal Mountain comes next, and is a multi-part epic of early Iron Maiden proportions, perhaps with a touch of Italian true metallers Doomsword. It is clean and quiet in the verses, giving way to raging power chords and sombre melodies, with a stoic refrain and an adventurous extended solo section. It seems to be a bit long, but it would seem that this is the point: the song is a departure from the speedy anthems which make up the rest of the album, and one which amply conjures up images of a lone warrior slogging his way over the mountains, with only the spirit of steel to keep his quest alive.
The remainder of the songs return to anthemic form, the pick of these being Heavy Metaluzifer, a triple-meter instrumental headbanger which gives way to a stomping, galloping NWOBHM riff-and-solo flurry, then the speedy riffing begins to fly again. This song also features the lone bass solo from Gezol. One can imagine the hair flying and the horns rising when this one is performed for the heavy metal maniacs.
Although they continually score few marks for originality, this is far from a concern. Metalucifer is a band which always succeeds in satisfying my love of old-school heavy metal. In this confused age of genres and sub-genres, Metalucifer serves to remind those of us who are too young to remember the glory days of just what in the hell heavy metal really is all about.
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Performance
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Originality
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Production
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Vocals
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Songwriting
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8 |
3 |
9 |
7 |
8 |
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Summary
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8,5 chalices of 10 - Nate |
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