Scarlet Anger-Freak Show

Hänsel & Gretel
2016

Scarlet Anger is a Luxembourg-based heavy/thrash metal act that was formed in 2007 by vocalist Joe Block and guitarist Fred Molitor. In late 2009 the group (which by this point also featured the services of long-time bassist Vince Niclou) put out it's first recording entitled "La realidad es triste..." and that four-track demo would eventually be followed by the highly-regarded 2011 EP, "Kill the King". That twenty plus minute EP marked a change in style for Scarlet Anger as they picked up the pace, packed on the aggression and went full-speed ahead into thrash metal 101 territory. One year after that fateful occasion (one which saw not only praise from not fans and critics alike, but actual label interest!) the band issued their first full-length album. Released on the label Dust on the Tracks on May 11, 2012, "Dark Reigh" was also well-received by the general listening public and that Bay Area thrash- infused LP would help pave the way for the band's sophomore album, "Freak Show". It's worth noting that in-between "Dark Reigh" and the soon-to-be-released "Freak Show" this hard-hitting outfit gave fans the independently-released single, "Stupid Boy". The reason I bring that up is because Scarlet Anger's forthcoming sophomore album includes a song that is titled "An Unbelievable Story of a Stupid Boy". As I haven't heard the late October, 2012 track "Stupid Boy" I won't comment as to whether or not "An Unbelievable Story of a Stupid Boy" is a re-working of said song or not. I simply found it interesting, but then again so is the vast majority of songs on the aptly-titled and sincerely-recommended "Freak Show"! And those unique songs would of course be:

1. Awakening of the Elder God
2. Attack of the Insidious Invader
3. The Haunted Place – House of Lost Souls
4. Welcome to the Freak show
5. The Abominable Master Gruesome
6. Through the Eyes of the Sufferer
7. The Thing Without a Name
8. On the Road to Salvation
9. An Unbelievable Story of a Stupid Boy
10. Deadly Red Riding Hood

If you're looking at those song titles and wondering if Scarlet Anger is a (maybe just maybe) a little sick & twisted around the edges then let me just say that you wouldn't be all that far off. Drawing their inspiration from classic eighties & nineties comics and horror stories, Scarlet Anger has created a colorful album that is lyrically-rich and (thankfully) about as far from ordinary as one can get! Musically-speaking this one falls somewhere between traditional heavy metal, dark metal and power/thrash metal and for once we're talking about a band that doesn't particularly sound like anyone else! Scarlet Anger simply doesn't go for the whole cookie-cutter metal thing or at least they don't on the well-constructed "Freak Show". These days the band is rounded out by guitarist Jeff Buchette (ex-Rude Revelation) and drummer Alain "Skeelo" Flammang (Chris & Band, ex-Dreaming in Red, ex-Man Made Suicide, ex-Mindpatrol) and as far as individual performances go there are no weak links in Scarlet Anger's current line-up. Scarlet Anger will released "Freak Show" on March 18th so if you are a fan of classic metal, dark metal or heavy power metal/thrash be sure to mark that date down!