DEBAUCHERY
Erm, okay. Let's split this one in two shall we? Tracks one to six represent, I guess, the 'War' part of the album title. As such, they are very effective death metal tunes. Bereft maybe of originality at times, it's also hard to care about that when the music is so damn infectiously heavy and groovy. There are moments that veer perhaps too close to Nu-Metal; when really it's not necessary. Still, opener 'There is Only War' excels at being a slow-burning, evil-sounding, almost progressive slice of brutality. I loved it. Keyboards are used throughout, but only where it can add suitable layers; never does it sound shoe-horned in to keep egos sated. 'Primordial Annihilator' could almost be described as 'catchy'; at least from the perspective of the chorus. The quality level remains high until track six 'Wolves of the North' fades out with the keyboard's funeral notes. Then, for reasons only the band can explain, they become AC/DC. Seriously, this is the 'Rockers' section of the album. On its own, and without the occasional death growls, it's a decent pastiche. But, really, with AC/DC being their own tribute band since the nineties, do we need another? Tagged on to the back of a death metal mini-album? Curious, and somewhat jarring. Which, makes scoring this album difficult. So, the score at the top of this page reflects the album as a whole, unifying experience. However, the 'War' part of the album is a solid 8.5, whilst the 'Rockers' a disappointing and pointless 4.5.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
AFM Records
Album
ROCKERS AND WAR
Review by Steve Cowan
RUNNING TIME:
45:33
RELEASE DATE:
3rd April 2009
TRACK LISTING
1) There is Only War
2) Primordial Annihilator
3) Honour and Courage
4) Savage Mortician
5) Killing Ground
6) Wolves of the North
7) Riff Hit
8) New Rock
9) Hammer of the Blood God
10) Demon Lady
11) Rocker
2) Primordial Annihilator
3) Honour and Courage
4) Savage Mortician
5) Killing Ground
6) Wolves of the North
7) Riff Hit
8) New Rock
9) Hammer of the Blood God
10) Demon Lady
11) Rocker
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Germany
"Tracks one to six represent, I guess, the 'War' part of the album title. As such, they are very effective death metal tunes...Then, for reasons only the band can explain, they become AC/DC."