Killer Khan-Global Killer

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Killer Khan is one band that should need no introduction. That is if you consider yourself to be any kind true metalhead! I mean after all this is the same incredible group that gave us the album "Kill Devil Hills"!! Our longtime readers might recall that I first covered this classic metal release in a Forgotten Gems feature back in 2012. Originally independently-released way back in 1999, "Kill Devil Hills" proved itself worthy of high praise and worship thanks to it's slick combination of eighties metal, hard rock and doom. With the Ozzy-like vocals of lead singer/guitarist Killian Khan merely serving as the sweet and delicious icing on top of one hell of a flavorful cake(!), "Kill Devil Hills" became a hidden gem for everyone who came across it and naturally that includes me. "Kill Devil Hills" has become a mainstay in my home and to this day I still enjoy it for what it represents. And that is real heavy metal for real heavy metal fans! When it comes to this criminally-underrated band from Mooresville, North Carolina we're talking about everything that there is to love about tried and true heavy metal wrapped up into one neat and tidy package. It's all there from superb performances to catchy material and whether you recognized it or not this four-piece has always been right there in the front genre since first coming together as Holy Moses back in 1994! Eventually that band evolved into Killer Khan and then Killer Khan gave us "Kill Devil Hills". And because of how solid that album actually was it would only be a matter of time before some label would come along and see fit to properly re-issue it. Put out in mid-April of of 2015 by Heaven and Hell Records, "Kill Devil Hills" went from being a hidden gem to an album that was finally in the spotlight (and rightfully so as this was a place where it had always belonged!). Thanks to it's remastered sound and the inclusion of two additional bonus tracks in "Abomination" and "Iceman (Part II)" the re-issue of Killer Khan's debut album hit the scene like a ton of bricks. Along the way it also managed to pull off the impossible. Somehow the Heaven and Hell Records version of "Kill Devil Hills" improved upon perfection! The new and improved album was everything that longtime fans of Killer Khan could have hoped!! Not only did it sound great, but it looked great too! As far as Killer Khan fans were concerned everything was right with the world and just how it should be. Killer Khan was finally getting the proper recognition that it deserved and everyone would see this group's back catalog for. And that is an amazing collection of material that is simply not to be missed! But then came the news that Killer Khan was back and working on a new album. And suddenly I found myself laying there in bed with a burning question all but eating me up inside. "How in the world can anyone expect Killer Khan to top that great re-issue?" I asked myself. "Had they painted themselves into a corner?" I wondered. These questions and so many more keep creeping up on it. Would "Global Killer" prove to be a comeback album for this North Carolina four-piece or was the magic all used up by now? To be honest I thought the worse. Even after "Global Killer" dropped I wasn't ready to try it out. Honestly I waited a good while until I check out. Thankfully all it took was one listen to opener to "Prowess of the Night" and I had my answer. Killer Khan was back! And not only were they back, but they were back with a fiery vengeance!! On the fittingly-named "Global Killer" the guys in Killer Khan meant business!! There would be hell to pay for all those who had forgotten their name. For band-mates Killian Khan (vocals, guitar), Ron Dalton (guitar), Brice Sandahl (bass), and Jody Rumple (drums) this new disc would prove to be a lightening bolt straight into the faces of the unbelievers! What "Global Killer" represents is simple enough even if you can't put it in exact terms that are easy to understand. This album is another great mixture of all the things that make Killer Khan the unreal act that they are. It's eighties metal. It's hard rock/heavy metal. And it's doom. "Global Killer" is Killer Khan doing what they do best and that wonderful concept keeps everything flowing along nicely until the very end of "Playful Dead". On their third full-length Killer Khan cranks out highly memorable metal that is once more perfectly-flavored by those great vocals of Killian Khan. I once wrote how much Killian Khan reminded me of Ozzy (or at the very least his illegitimate offspring!) and while I still stand by that concept there is a brief side note to add. Here on "Global Killer" Killian Khan sounds more mature. Like many of us he has added a few more miles on his voice with the passage of time. Obviously he isn't the same front-man as he was on "Kill Devil Hills", but trust me here when I say that's good. The maturity in his voice actually works towards the overall appeal of this new album as it gives everything a more natural and real vibe. It's as if the front-man isn't afraid to admit that not only has he grown as a musician, but as a person. And while he might be older he has way more experience under his belt. In the end it just gives the material on "Global Killer" a more realistic feeling. In that regard credit must also be given to the album's overall production. Thankfully Killer Khan's new album isn't over-produced. "Global Killer" feels like a metal disc should. It's tuneful in just the right places while it is also open enough so that raw appeal of heavy metal is able to come through nice and loud. Each and every part of this new album works. In a day and age when heavy metals albums can sound way too glossy I cannot even begin to tell you how nice that is! Not once does "Global Killer" shy away from the fact that it is there to deliver an ass kicking. It doesn't let up on sonic assault or pull away from the raw metallic energy that fuels it. Instead "Global Killer" is as rebellious and destructive as it wants to be. Whether you are a fan of this great group or not that is something to celebrate. Needless to say I love this album and highly-recommend it.....

Killer Khan-Kill Devil Hills (2015 Re-issue)

Heaven and Hell Records
2015

There are some reviews that just about write themselves and then there are other times where you find yourself struggling to even come up with a proper opening. There is no need to guess where this one sits in the grand scheme of things as it's now taken me well over an hour to even get this far! And that was after coming back to do this review for the third time!! I'm just not sure if I can come up with right choice of words to fully convey the importance of this album. Truth be told I've covered Killer Khan's full-length debut in the past. As you can see here it was once a part of my Forgotten Gems series and now I'm tasked with talking about this re-mastered and expanded re-issue. Honestly I feel as if everything I said back then (which was March 29th, 2012 to be exact) still rings true with the only real difference between then and now being a more-improved sound and the inclusion of two bonus tracks. Otherwise this is still one of the best damn (true) heavy metal albums that you can have in your personal collection. Let me say that again so that it's perfectly clear to everyone. As far as true blue this heavy metal gems go it does not get any better then this 1999 album! Originally self-released back in 1999, "Kill Devil Hills" was Killer Khan's full-length debut and thanks in no small part to this band's particular choice of influences it ended up being a timeless example of classic/traditional heavy metal at it's purest and most sincere form! But first a brief history lesson is in order. Formed in 1994 and initially known as Holy Moses (under which name the band issued two full-length albums-one in 1995 and the other one in 1996), Killer Khan was based in Moorsevile, North Carolina and lead by vocalist/guitarist Killian Khan. As mentioned "Kill Devil Hills" was the first album that this U.S. metal put out under the name of Killer Khan. Technically-speaking it's also the only album that "Killer Khan" issued in their brief existence as the follow-up album, 2001's "Rock 'N Roll Forever", was originally released in 1996 while the band was still known as "Holy Moses"! Confusing as that may be there should be no confusion as to the strength of this album!! Killer Khan's classic sound & style drew it's inspiration from the eighties U.S. metal scene of old as well as bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and (Ozzy-era) Black Sabbath. With a lead vocalist who could have easily slid his way into into a Ozzy Osbourne tribute band (see my previous review for more on this tidbit!) and a backing band that was well-regulated and fine-tuned to near perfection this traditional heavy metal band released one of those rare A+ recordings that every self-respecting metalhead should have already had in their collection! If you didn't have it before now then you absolutely must pick up this stone cold gem now that it has been re-mastered and expanded! Hell, even if you already have this album in collection I would still suggest buying this version as it has a much-improved sound and it tacks on two excellent bonus cuts in "Abomination" and "Aceman (Part II)"! Sure enough this is the same album that I fell in love with all those years back only this time around it's even better! "Kill Devil Hills" has definitely stood the test of time and thanks to Heaven and Hell Records it is getting a new lease on life! As this is a limited run though I would I act fast while it is still available. With only 500 copies it is sure to sell out and once it's gone it's gone! For fans of Killer Khan this is a must buy, but it also comes recommend to fans of eighties metal, N.W.O.B.H. and of course Black Sabbath! 

Forgotten Gems: Killer Khan-Kill Devil Hills

Independent/Private Print
1999

This album has only been in my collection a short time and already I have grown to love everything about it. "Kill Devil Hills" came my way thanks to a friend I trade with every so often. Had I know about these guys earlier I would have tracked down more music from them. Bands like this are all about playing metal for metal's sake and really letting other fans know about great music like this is the reason why Forgotten Gems is such a fun article to write. This North Carolina band was originally known as Holy Moses and played doom metal from various reports. Formed in 1994 by singer-songwriter Killian Khan the group released two albums under that name ("Latitude Zero" and "Rock 'n Roll Forever"- 1995 and 1996 respectively) before switching to Killer Khan. From the looks of it "Rock 'n Roll Forever" was re-released as Killer Khan and somewhere between album number two (which I have not heard either) and "Kill Devil Hills" the style changed as well. Said to be influenced by bands such as Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Dio the sound here is so eighties in nature that I had to check the date a few times to make sure there wasn't some sort of mistake. Not so as hard as it is for me to grasp this really was released in 1999. Frankly folks this is classic eighties metal in spirit and sound. The most interesting thing about the group though has to be Killer Khan himself. All I can say is that if Ozzy had a son who fronted a traditional heavy metal outfit this is what it would sound like. Now don't give me the speech about how Ozzy really does have a son because little Jack Osbourne is anything but metal. Sorry to disappoint all the mall metal kiddos. No, this guy sounds more like Ozzy's offspring than Jack does. Either that or he could perfectly front a Ozzy Osbourne tribute band. Killer Khan (the band) might have a Judas Priest/Dio vibe going for them (really though this album sounds like a lot of different eighties hard rock/heavy metal bands rolled into one big & beautiful collection!) but Killer Khan (the singer/guitarist) sounds like Ozzy himself during his early solo years when he didn't have to rely on studio tricks. Following this excellent little gem the band seemed to vanish so if anyone knows more about the group please drop me a line. "Kill Devil Hills" is just a fun listen and should be more known. It is no-frills hard/heavy metal with a sound rich in tradition. Before retro-loving heavy metal bands came along in the last few years Killer Khan was already marching to the beat of true metal. As someone who loved the scene the first time around I highly recommend this album to anyone that misses groups who used to wave the banner of heavy metal proudly.