"Thunder And Steel Down Under"-A Tribute To Riot

Skol Records
2015


It's another fine Metal Monday so check this one out my friends and fellow metalheads. It's way past the point of being long-overdue, but Skol Record's "Thunder And Steel Down Under" is the first ever Riot tribute album. The fact that it has taken so long to put one together is wrong on so many levels, the least of which is A) how universal Riot's form of U.S. power metal is and then (as heard on this limited edition CD) B) how easily it lends itself to being covered. Thankfully this 14-track compilation not only addresses this gross negligence, but it does so in grand fashion and with the exact kind of style and grace befitting of such a classic band as Riot! And speaking of classics, "Thunder And Steel Down Under" features more than a few golden gems from Riot's amazing back catalog and they are given the royal treatment by many a great band that has already been featured here on Heavy Metal Time Machine! We're talking about the likes of Crystal Viper, Night Demon, October 31 and Rocka Rollas  (to name just a few) and here on the limited-edition "Thunder And Steel Down Under" these four bands join up with ten other great artists in order to pay homage to one of heavy metal's true unsung heroes! Obviously not all tribute albums are created equally and compilations in general can be so hit or miss. We all know this to be a sad fact of life. But again, we are talking about Riot and if any band has a back catalog that is perfectly suited for covering it would be this one. And it should go without saying, but on "Thunder And Steel Down Under" the list of bands that Skol Records assembled for this project is impressive. Besides those mentioned we have Savage Master, Attacker, Dexter Ward and Axel Rudi Pel (again just to name a few!) and it all adds up to one album that was so damn-near perfect that I had to stop and ponder the fact on more than one occasion! So, without further adieu let's jump right into this Riot tribute album! Produced by the one and only Bart Gabriel (Sacred Steel, Crystal Viper, Jack Starr's Burning Starr), "Thunder And Steel Down Under" is indeed a rare specimen in that it offers a tribute album that is actually worthy of the band of which it covers! Crazy right? Well, as strange as that sounds its the truth. We start things off with Ferdy Doernberg's brief instrumental take on "Soldier" before we are bowled over by Axel Rudi Pell's version of "Warrior". So far so good right? It only gets better friends as "Fire Down Under" sounds great in Attacker's hands! Already we see how right Riot's music can sound in the hands of those who share a true love and appreciation for the band and their remarkable brand of traditional and power metal! It should be noted at this point that income from the sale of this special album will be given to Sir Tony Reale (father of the late Riot guitarist and founding member, Mark Reale) so we're talking about great metal music for a great cause! It's win-win time all around! But anyway, Walpyrgus is up next with "Outlaw" and if you haven't figured it out for yourself by now let me just say again how well-suited this band is in regards to being covered! Wow. Riot is really something in regards to their back catalog and how many killer songs they have and it's a treat to hear how easily it transforms into straight-ahead metal and heavy power metal/thrash! When we are talking about Riot we are talking about the kind of traditional heavy metal  band that should be huge! Their form of power metal is absolutely slamming and yet it's so well-written and constructed that it can be turned on it's head and still sound fantastic! Few bands can stake that kind of claim, but then again Riot is in a league of their own. All of which begs the question why it hasn't happened sooner? Why has it taken so long for this classic American band to get a tribute album all their own? I wish I knew. Anyway, Savage Master is on board now with "Swords And Tequila" and it's at this point that we hear one of the only so-so tracks on the compilation. It's not that Savage Master is bad or anything. In truth I happen to love the band and their debut album received high marks for all of us here at Heavy Metal Time Machine. Even so I will admit that their cover of "Swords And Tequila" sounds coldly hollow when compared to the original. And that's a shame as "Swords And Tequila"is an absolute classic in it's own right. But hey, they can't all be winners right? From Savage Master we turn to  the neoclassical style of Angelo Perlepes' Mystery. I enjoyed their cover of "Sign Of The Crimson Storm" as it has a Dio flair to it. Next up is October 31 and they take on "Loanshark". Now the guys in October 31st are no strangers when it comes to cover songs so finding them on a Riot tribute album isn't all that surprising. What is surprising though is how little their cover of "Loanshark" sounds like the original. It's more of a punk thrash take on Riot and depending upon whether you are a fan of October 31or not you will either love it or hate it. I like it quite a bit as it is different in a good way and it offers a unique perspective of the music of Riot. From there we are served up one choice cover after another from band's here in the U.S. and bands from over in Europe. To save a bit of time and space the remainder of this tribute album looks something like this:

Alpha Tiger- "Flight Of The Warrior" (A solid cover that is a nice mix of flash and fury)
Stallion-"Rock City" (Good even if it can't touch the originals appeal)
Rocka Rollas-"Riot" (Nothing fancy or anything it's just the Rocka Rollas doing their thing)
Evil United-"Altar Of The King" (A Straight down the middle of the road shooter that hits it's target dead on)
Night Demon-"Road Racin'" (One of my favorite Riot numbers done by one of my favorite new bands)
Dexter Ward-"Running From The Law" (Totally kicking cover choice done right)
Crystal Viper feat. Todd Michael Hall-"Thundersteel" (A nice way to end this tribute)

As they are all really good covers there is no reason to get too technical about each track. Still, highlights for me (band-wise) would have to be: Rocka Rollas, Evil united, Night Demon and Dexter Ward. Especially Night Demon. Their cover selection has always been a guilty pleasure of mine so having one of my new favorites cover one of my old favorites was simply cool. And that's really what this tribute album is all about
when you get down to it! "Thunder And Steel Down Under" is all about a great group of bands and artists (both new and not so new) coming together to celebrate one of metal's finest bands and the life of one of it's finest members (Mark Reale). If the actual music isn't enough to sway you though then consider the fact that this compilation comes packed with a nice booklet with notes from each band. Consider it a little bonus if you will. In the end "Thunder And Steel Down Under" makes up for a great deal of lost time. It addresses a  gaping hole that previously existed and it honors not only Riot, but the bands that Riot influenced. As it is limited to a mere 1,000 copies I would definitely recommend that you not wait too long to buy this fantastic CD. It's worth every penny and it's for a good cause. What more could a Riot fan ask for?

Crystal Viper-Possession

AFM Records
2014

Poland's Crystal Viper, as always lead by vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist/composer Marta Gabriel (Börn Again, Jack Starr's Burning Starr (live as guitarist), Vader (live as singer), Manilla Road (live as singer), Tytan (live as singer) as well as guest spots/session-work on album's by Sabaton, Witch Cross and Majesty), will soon be releasing their fifth full-length album in "Possession". As was the case with 2012's "Crimen Excepta", which was highly-received by fans and critics alike, production duties fell upon Bart Gabriel (Sacred Steel, Sabaton, Burning Starr) and, from that stand-point at least, "Possession" sounds inspired. With guest appearances by the likes of Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer, Titan's Force and Satan's Host) and Sataniac (Desaster) and the additional "screams" of fifty fans (in much the same way as A Sound Of Thunder includes the "Thunder Choir" Crystal Viper invited fans to send in their screams to be used on the album as a thank you for their support) this traditional heavy metal band (lyrically) has (another?) concept album on their hands with "Possession". Theme-wise this one is about a young girl named Julia (hence titles like "Julia Is Possessed") and the release is said to include a "movie-like story" that "gets an unexpected twist, and surprise the listener with every single song". With no lyric-sheet to go by I'll just take Marta and her metal comrades (guitarist Andy Wave, bassist Michał Badocha and drummer Golem) at their word. Music-wise though this one follows fairly closely in the same footsteps as previous Crystal Viper releases. Traces of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio-era Black Sabbath/Dio, Warlock (see: "Why Can't You Listen") and Merciful Fate (see: "We Are Many") can still be found here as well as the likes of Grave Digger, Jag Panzer, Witch Cross (see: "Voices In My Head" and "Julia Is Possessed") Fates Warning (see: "Prophet of the End") and Riot. Speaking of Riot, "Thundersteel" is covered here on the CD version. This isn't the first time that Crystal Viper has covered one of it's influences as past releases have seen covers of the likes of Manilla Road, Warlock, Agent Steel, Running Wild, Accept, Demon and more. On "Possession" the Riot cover fits in rather nicely with the original cuts. But, what about those original cuts? Well, Marta (as usual) sounds great and her bandmates, including new bassist Michał Badocha (At the Lake, Unsaint), form a supportive circle around her which results in a more then capable and quite strong metal unit. That said, "Possession" almost sounds like a step back for Crystal Viper instead of a step forward. That's not to say that this is a bad release or anything. Crystal Viper are still at the top of their game as evident by cuts like "Fight Evil With Evil" (featuring guest vocals by Harry Conklin), "Mark of the Horned One" and "Julia Is Possessed" (featuring guest growls from Sataniac). And, given the album's (somewhat) darker edge (Marta reportedly wanted more Candlemass and King Diamond/Merciful Fate influences added to the mix and the promo also makes mention of Bathory believe it or not!), the album does come across as (almost) more experimental in a way. As if Crystal Viper were looking to add in new elements and show that they were not afraid to try their hands at something new. All of which is fine, but that doesn't mean that it's an improvement over 2012's "Crimen Excepta". Instead it just is what it is-a fine album that fans will likely enjoy, but one that shows that (for a band that has been around since 2003) not every new album is going to be a groundbreaking achievement!

Crystal Viper-Crimen Excepta

AFM
2012

Poland's female fronted Crystal Viper return with a concept album about black magic and an inquisition. So keeping with that theme each track has an intro which is basically a few seconds of sound effects pertaining to what's going on in the story. As far the music the band continues on with the traditional metal they have been playing on their previous albums. You hear some Maiden, Priest, Manowar,Mercyful Fate, Warlock, Dio and others in their sound. It's not a whole different than their previous albums. They continue along the same musical trail, but they are quite comfortable and skilled at this type of music. There is never a dull moment on this album, well unless you count those sound effect intros. The vocals of Marta Gabriel are as strong as ever as she easily shows the power of her instrument with every line she sings. The music soars and rips it's way through like it's 1986. I do get the impression that Crystal Viper are feeling even more confident in their music on this album. Even though the style is similar to what they have in the past I already find myself listening to this album a little more than "Legends". Not sure why, but "Crimen Excepta" as a whole pulled me in more. The album includes special bonus track- “Ghosts Of Sherwood” which was recorded for the forthcoming 3D cinema horror movie “Robin Hood: Ghosts Of Sherwood”.

Crystal Viper-Legends

AFM
2011

Poland's traditional metal/power metal outfit Crystal Viper returns with their third studio effort. This album came out in Europe back in the fall, but won't out until February here in the states courtesy of AFM records. This is slick, but extremely well-written Euro-metal with impressive female vocals and more crunching riffs than you can shake a stick at. Some of the songs have very direct influences. For example "Blood of the heroes" is reminiscent of Keeper of the seven keys-era Helloween while "Ghost Ship" is pure late 80's-early 90's Running Wild. Many of the others are a mixture of those two bands plus Iron Maiden, Gamma Ray and Grave Digger. The also pay tribute to another influence as they cover Accept's underrated "TV war".The phrase nothing new is bound to come into your mind during this album, but that phrase will quickly get kicked to curb once you here this whole album. New or not doesn't matter because this band has all the licks and notes down as well as anyone who is or has done this style. The one word that comes to mind upon hearing this album is "flow" because they don't wait they just push ahead and every element of this album flows along in spectacular fashion. Because of that approach this is album where you here it once and you feel like you have known it for years. Although that won't stop you from playing it over and over. Quite the opposite because you will want to hear more and more of "Legends". A shame that we on this side of the pond had to wait a few extra months for it come out, but hey it's worth the wait.