PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
First who are they? Right the lads hail from Corby and have been together since 2008 and this new release has been produced by the legend that is Mr Chris (Dark Lord) Tsangrides.
Black Acid Souls are: Flakey – Vocals, Chubbs – Guitar, Gruff – Bass, Hoff – Drums, Zed – Guitar
Pain – A haunting Piano and choral intro lead us into a sustained guitar. We are talking old school horror film scores with a slight hint of gothic malevolence. Kick in the drums and you build to your first listen of Flakeys vocals. First you may be surprised by the vocals, it’s mid range with a twist and very distict, go with it, trust me! Pain is a great opener that makes you wonder what the rest of the album will deliver.
Bitter Taste Sweet – This is rocker from the off, solid riffage and a good bouncing drum sound. You’ll be able to hear some of the sounds that have influenced the band. From Thrash right through to Southern Rock. BTS is a solid slab of neck aching metal. The guitar work is as you’d expect. So far so good then.
Rising Death – For me there is nothing better than a good solid drum beat to kick a song off (sorry twiddly guitar people) and this track starts just like that. Lyrically this track shows eloquence and clarity. You even get a demon beckoning you, so what more do you want from a metal track.
Fight Back – Oh here we go this is the obligatory audience participation track. The lyric “Fight back” will no doubt be chanted around the country when the band tour. The track itself is classic metal based and has that chugg we all need to get our heads bobbing. The tempo changes are well crafted and allow the song to flow.
Cold as Stone – We are welcoming into this track by twin guitars that meld together to form a heart felt song (I’m guessing there is a secret message in the track). By now you’ll be understanding what I said about Flakeys distinct vocals, his ability to go from high to low octaves can at first catch you unawares but you’ll get it on Cold as Stone. His vocals shine and backed by the rest of the lads for me this one of the highlights of “Shadow Walker”.
Lifes love lost – Right then this really does have a message. Its starts of all romantic, well for metal at least! The band hit this track with acoustic gear and build it up. The tempo changes and so does the lyric style suddenly we are hit by bodies getting sweaty and underlying nuances of dare I say it….Sex!!! A good balladesque track that sits well with the rest of the album.
Mirrors Past – A now typical BAS opening that has a slight Maiden Esque edge to it. In fact “Mirrors” has a Maiden feel to it throughout which let’s face is no bad thing (it works for them right!). You can also hear the mix magic of Chris Tsangrides on “Mirrors”. Falkeys vocals hit the mark and the rest of the guys deliver a solid backdrop for a good all round track.
Shadow Walker – The title track of this release starts laid back and builds into a nice heavy riff. It delivers an unexpected twist by dropping into a gothic vocal. Shadow Walker is is a slower track the most yet it grows on you and towards the end you can hear the angst that lies beneath.
Fates Game – Oh here we go! Starting hard and heavy with a double kick and chugging riffs we get a bouncing bass as well. Fates Game gives you heavy metal Ala Carte with Satanic growls and Demonic Laughter, seriously it’s a metal track with everything we’d expect. And as the penultimate track it works well.
Night Watchman – The last track can sometimes be the weakest one! But opening with a spoken work prologue we are then dropped into what you know now to be typical of BAS. This tracks slows down then speeds up with ease. A good lesson can also be learnt here less can most definitely be more especially from a rhythm section. The final track ends “Shadow Walker” well.
So to sum up this release one would have to say it’s competent, solid and as you’d hope Metal. The vocals grow on you and you will soon be converted. Black Acid Souls now have a good solid stepping stone to move upwards. Give this a listen, of course it also has to be said as with every new release from bands just starting out and working their way through the hell of this industry, something’s won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But go on grab it, turn it up and get some Black Acid in your veins.
Visit the band @
www.facebook.com/blackacidsouls
www.blackacidsouls.wix.com
