Headhunter - Parasite Of Society |
Published December 06 2008
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3rd Man Introduction |
| Genre | Power/Thrash Metal |
Marcel Schirmer
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Vocals
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| Tracks | 12 |
Uwe Joffmann
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Guitar
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| Runningtime | 53 Min. |
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Guitar
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| Label | AFM Records |
Marcel Schirmer
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Bass
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| Release | 23 May 2008 |
Jörg Michael
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Drums
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| Country | Germany |
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Keyboard
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| Similar artists | Destruction, Rage, Paragon | ||
After his untimely departure from Destruction, Schmier joined with his fellow dudes of wrath and formed Headhunter. Their first release - Parody Of Life - stormed the senses with a cracked brain damaging insult.
The less successful Mike Sifringer would fall with his vast inhumane cannon of bullshit; while Mr. Silverskull himself catapulted into the '90s with a speed power driven new project; releasing himself from his former agony.
Their second outing - A Bizarre Gardening Accident, solidified this rebirth as a commanding force to be reckoned with among the Noise acts and assault of Teutonic steel. Having drummer Jörg Michael trapped in this reality, was another motivating factor, as he had consistently performed with the German elite.
Another qualifying factor, was Headhunter had quite a sense of humour, and covered '50s era Doo-wap and big band anthems, even before Blind Guardian's 'Mr. Sandman'. This silly side is what later inspired the likes of Edguy and even enticed Gamma Ray. Kai Hansen, himself, helped with the production on Parody Of Life.
By the time Rebirth was released, Headhunter had become more technical and in line with the direction of Rage and the likes of Secrecy or Pyracanda. Once they disbanded, Schmier patched things up with Destruction, and soon his discharge of evil anthems were about to be released; spawning an amazing thrash resurgence. Although, it seemed as if Headhunter would never resurface.
Thankfully, due to the persistence of fans, and journalists, myself included; Schmier reformed with his old mates Schmuddel and Jörg, and we finally have a new Headhunter album, and it is their best effort yet. The production is superb, and the songs blend well with today's generation clash.
This is a ballsy and provocative album, not just because Schmier also recorded an entirely new Destruction album in the same year; but, also because it covers both Judas Priest and Skid Row, as well as maintaining is frivolity and mirth, and food for thought artillery.
The music is pure Headhunter and Destruction, replete with melodies, mayhem, and Schmier's sneer rasp. For newer fans to the band, if you enjoy Primal fear, Brainstorm, Paragon, or Rebellion, you won't be led astray. All the songs are well written , and played, and the distribution of tracks is very even and formulaic.
After the '3rd Man Introduction' the title track explodes placing your backs to the wall. This easily incorporates all that I cherish about Headhunter. This is followed by 'Silverskull' a raging anthem which exemplifies that Schmier literally wears his badge of honour on his sleeve.
'Remission' is a bit slower and a more punishing plead guilty indulgence, while the chorus of 'Doomsday For The Prayer' is just menacing. Say what you will about '18 And Life', but I've always been a Skid Row fan, and I feel this song is served justly.
Towards the end of the album, the momentum slows a bit, with 'Egomaniac' and 'The Calling', but the "Muppet Theme" inter-dispersed after 'Payback Time', leading into the killer cover of 'Rapid Fire', is exactly why Headhunter maintain that force of habit and deadly instinct.
Read my lips, ease my pain, and heed the calling of these parasites of sobriety. Headhunter are here to see that some heads are gonna' roll all around the joint!
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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 |
7,5 |
8 |
7,5 |
8 |
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Summary
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8 chalices of 10 - Michael the MettleAngel |
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Related links: www.official-headhunter.com |
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