I've been listening to too much pop and rap lately. I need some ball-blistering metal. Yeah, this album is a couple months old, but better late than never. And yes, I'll get to Lemonade and Views eventually (when they get released to Spotify), but for now, let's do some metal. All right, hell yeah!
1. Impaled/You Gotta Believe
The intro is menacing like something out of a battle chant. The meat of the song is good too, even if the riffs are kinda simple. It's also kinda clear Joey Belladonna's vocals aren't as raw as they were in the 80s. I do like the slower part where the rhythmic bass sticks out more.
2. Monster at the End
I'm starting to notice some power fantasy elements in the lyrics. Guess that's typical for this kind of metal. The instrumentation matches it well, it's intense the whole time even if it's still kinda simple. Great guitar solos though.
3. For All Kings
Something about the guitars on this song feel kinda off. Like they almost don't match the drums. It still sounds alright, but that was kinda distracting. They match during the chorus at least. And the guitar solo is impressive as always.
4. Breathing Lightning/Breathing Out
Like the tracks before it, it does sound good, even if the guitar work isn't particularly special outside the solo. So yeah, not feeling this so much. The outro's a nice touch though.
5. Suzerain
Now we're talking. Even though this kinda feels like post-grunge at times, this song's got some intense guitar work during the verses. And the guitar solo has been the strongest on the album so far.
6. Evil Twin
And this track even one-upped the last one. The guitar playing it top notch all the way through here. Feels like an improvement of the title track in a lot of ways. I think this is my favorite on the album so far.
7. Blood Eagle Wings
First few minutes of this are kinda slow, then it kicks into high gear at about three and a half minutes. I like metal more when it has more rhythmic grooves like this. Even though it does later return to its slower riffs it's still good. It feels like a marathon of shredding.
8. Defend/Avenge
I love the way this song builds up. Fuzzy sustains, guitar riffs with a lot of groove that slowly add sound and instruments. And that is some tasty bass, I tell ya. The chorus is a bit awkward in structure, though, which keeps it from being even better. Ah well. Still, even with that part, it manages to stand out.
9. All of Them Thieves
The drums shine here. In fact, Charlie Benante's drumming has actually been pretty awesome throughout this album. Unfortunately the guitars sound like they're kinda out of tune here and don't do much until the solo. The tempo changes also kinda jerk it in all sorts of directions. Still enjoyable nonetheless.
10. This Battle Chose Us!
Ooh, tasty bass! Frank Bello hell yeah! Other than that, pretty standard stuff. Simple but great-sounding guitar riffs, an impressive guitar solo (though I wish it lasted longer), power fantasy imagery that's kinda cheesy but I'll take it. Yeah.
11. Zero Tolerance
And we end the album on a frantic song. And this one is an attack on the hypocrisy of people in power. I can get behind that. Plus everyone involved is playing their hearts out on this one. Thirty years later and they have not slowed down. Excellent work.
Final Verdict: It's good. It might not be particularly special, but it is good. A lot of talent went into the recording of this album and it shows. Songs are intense for the most part, the guitar solos are all great, the drumming is phenomenal. However some of the tracks do tend to blur into each other and aren't always that memorable. It's also thematically about power fantasy, which isn't all that original in the metal scene. Still, if metal is your thing, specifically thrash metal, you'll be satisfied. I know I was.
Rating: 7/10
Best songs: Evil Twin, Zero Tolerance, Defende/Avenge
Worst songs: For All Kings, All of Them Thieves
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