It has been 5 years since the last record for this group of supreme players that includes Steve Di Giorgio (Bass) (Testament, Sadus, Death) and Ripper Owens (ex Judas Priest, Iced Earth) (vocals). The voice however is what makes this band instantly recognisable. It is a shame Ripper hasn’t been able to find himself a more permanent home with a band. This is one of his many outlets which sees him again delivering a pure power performance. “Creatures” is a solid record which has an almost jukebox feel about it, you just don’t know what you are going to get next. The songwriting is varied and it will be interesting to see how well it will be accepted by different metal factions.
Opening track “My Eyes” has a euro power metal feel about it which is a real attention grabber. Next is “The Soulless” which has a blast section at the beginning to rival any of your modern tech death metal bands and also provides a superbly catchy chorus. “Living in the Shadow of Yesterday” would not find itself out of place in an arena rock setting. The general feel for the album is somewhere between thrash and power metal with plenty of shredding and drum heroics to keep the tech heads happy as well as those that want memorable songs. They have delivered a diverse record in terms of styles which sounds exciting and flowing.
The production is big and bold and showcases the bass and drums, especially when they are playing big fast double bass parts. At times the drums do overshadow the guitars and it is hard to pick out some of the subtleties in the guitars. Ripper certainly keeps himself busy between this, his solo career, Beyond Fear and Dio’s disciples as well as remaining one of the most consistent performers of his generation. As mentioned it is a varied record which given a chance should provoke interest across many of the genres within metal. It clocks in at just over the half hour mark which is perfect and prompts repeated listens.
Tracklisting
- My Eyes
- The Soulless
- Afterlife
- As I Catch My Breath
- Lies
- Reach into the Light
- Tear Me Down
- Living in the Shadow of Yesterday
- Time Has Passed
Band Members
Ripper Owens – Vocals
Steve DiGiorgio – Bass
Richard Christy – Drums
Jason Suecof – Guitars
http://www.metalblade.com/cwotd/
- £12.02