Rebellious Spirit - Obsession

Published September 30 2014

*=Staff's pick	Obsession Lost* Silent Scream Walls Of Lies* Summer Moved On Confidence Men Look What I've Become* Between The Highs And Lows Together* Forever And Ever In My Dreams Breakout

Genre	Hard Rock/Heavy Metal	Jannik Fischer	Vocals
Tracks	12	Jannik Fischer	Guitar
Running time	51 Min.	Corvin Domhardt	Guitar
Label	Steamhammer/SPV	Jens Fischer	Bass
Release	19 September 2014	Silvio Bizer	Drums
Country	Germany	-	Keyboard
Producer	Markus Gumball
Similar artists	---

Last summer I reviewed German newcomers Rebellious Spirit's debut album Gamble Shot and with a rating of a disappointing 3 chalices I naturally wasn't interested beyond imagination to check out the band's sophomore effort when the opportunity was given a few weeks ago. As you already figured out, in some weird way I nevertheless couldn't resist the urge, so here I am, sitting comfortably, and listening to a band who is beginning to find more of its own identity, as the band's music doesn't seem to be totally borrowed or straight off stolen anymore.

The youngsters still have youthful ways to approach things and the vocal efforts are still not impressing when it comes to pieces that require strength or higher notes. Still, the fiascos highly evident on Gamble Shot are gone, which I personally see as a record that never should have left the state of a demo recording. Rebellious Spirit would indeed have been better off to release something decent like Obsession instead, in order to put the band on the market in the first place.

This band nevertheless seems to have been given time to evolve, which indicates that the label believes in their efforts. It's a positive sign that bands get the time to vitalize their music on longer terms. Just have a look at giants like Judas Priest, Saxon and Accept back in the day, because not many fans of those bands, mind diehards with tunnel vision, would truly say that those bands ripped from the very first start.

This release is heavier than the debut and it leans a little more towards hard rock with hints of heavy metal included, in favor of something closer to sleaze rock. A number of the songs are in fact rather captivating. Perhaps not to a point where I shout the words out in ecstasy in front of a mirror, but in total, it definitely has more push to it and it's not so vapid anymore, which both are factors that decidedly create a better outcome.

At the end of the day, it's a rather pleasing effort with young elements involved, but as with the first record, I still believe that Rebellious Spirit's music addresses more to a younger crowd than to people of a more mature age.