Savage Master-With Whips And Chains

High Roller/ Skol Records
2016

Fans of female-fronted traditional/classic metal would do well to listen up as this is a important message. U.S. occult heavy metal band Savage Master return with album number two in "With Whips And Chains" and to put it in simple words that everyone can understand it is a real gem of a recording! As you can see here Savage Master is a band that I've covered before and while I thought their debut album was a real blast, "Mask of the Devil" has NOTHING on the the metallic masterpiece that is "With Whips And Chains"! Armed with a new drummer in Zach Harris, Louisville, Kentucky-based Savage Master set out to stomp any fears about a sophomore slump with the resulting album in question showing just how far lead vocalist Stacey "Savage" Peak and her companions have come between their rock-solid 2014 debut album and the forthcoming "With Whips And Chains"! Formed in October of 2012 by Stacy Savage and  guitarist Adam Neal (The Hookers), Savage Master set out in life in order to create a unique occult metal band and they achieved that and then some when it came to their highly-recommended debut album. Early on this five-piece band was influenced by the sounds and styles of such classic metal and N.W.O.B.H.M. groups as Coven, Bitch, Warlock, Venom, Exciter, Witchfinder General, Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Warlord, Judas Priest, Candlemass, Danzig, (early) Iron Maiden and Belgian's Acid. Here it is some four years later and we find this underrated outfit pushing their way past the raw and untamed sounds that were present on "Mask of the Devil" in order to deliver a new album that is far more polished and technical than the primitive* nature of their debut! That's not to say that I don't appreciate everything that Savage Master did on their first album. I loved "Mask of the Devil"! But whereas their debut album was grilled to perfection sirloin steak this new disc is grand A filet mignon! Not only has Stacy Savage improved as a vocalist (something which I would have never thought possible as she already had this incredibly strong voice!), but the band as a whole has really stepped up it's game! On their sophomore album we find Savage Master (which is incidentally rounded out by guitarist Larry Myers and bassist Brandon "BB Gunz" Brown) taking the best parts of their 2014 album (raw and dark metal, thrash, hard & heavy N.W.O.B.H.M., etc.) and then adding in slicker & sicker guitar solos, crushing bass lines and a new and improved drum sound in order that their new disc ends up being as wicked and evil as humanly demonically possibly! When it comes to sincere occult heavy metal and sinister heavy metal-infused thrash this 10-track album is as good as it gets folks.

*"Mask of the Devil" brilliantly combined seventies occult rock, eighties metal, traditional/classic heavy metal and the many different sounds and styles of N.W.O.B.H.M. movement with the raw and primitive nature of Venom and Exciter. Toss in the punk-inspired N.W.O.B.H.M. sound of Iron Maiden's first two albums and you will come close to what Savage Master achieved on their first album. But as great as it was, "Mask of the Devil" pails in comparison to the tighter and way more structured sound that is found on "With Whips And Chains". The key thing to take away from all of this is that such musical growth is not only to be expected, but it should be highly encouraged! Savage Master has grown and matured between album number one and album number two and fans of this occult heavy metal act will just love the ends results!

"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?

Savage Master-Mask Of The Devil

Skol Records
2014

Last week I was thrilled to introduce our readers to Kentucky N.W.O.T.H.M act Savage Master (link provided below). Now it is my extreme pleasure to report back to all of you that I have heard the band's full-length debut album in it's entirety and yes, it is EVERY bit as good as I had hoped it would be and then some! That speaks volumes about everyone involved in the creation of Savage Master's first official recording, but before we talk about the people who were tasked with magically transforming Savage Master's larger than life stage sound to studio tape let's fill in a few more facts about this female-fronted/occult-driven band. Co-founded by Adam Neal (guitars) and Stacey "Savage" Peak (lead vocals), with the band's theatrical live show inspired in part by Mario Bava's 1960 gothic horror classic "Black Sunday" (look it up kids as it's a real doozy!) and perhaps even The Mentors(!) and the rest of the band soon filled out by various musicians that Adam Neal knew and worked with in the past, Savage Master has remarkably enough only been existence for a little over a year! And yet in that small time frame this overtly satanic band has made the leap from unsigned underground favorites to securing a deal with Skol Records. And of course everyone should already know that Skol Records is responsible for several albums which I  have previously covered and have since made a part of my personal music collection such as Taist of Iron's "Ressurrection", Robespierre's "Die You Heathen, Die!" and Nitro's "Lethal Dose" so this particular signing makes a great deal of sense. That doesn't mean that the black arts were not used in one fashion or another to speed up this band's musical evolution LOL! It merely means that Savage Master shares more than a few of the same great qualities that made those previously mentioned three artists so good to begin with so this musical relationship looks like a match made in heaven...or hell if you will! Especially seeing as Savage Master's sound harkens back to the "good old days". Sonically-speaking it's bands like Exciter and Venom that initially come to mind when it comes to Savage Master. In no way is that a bad thing, but like the band members behind this project there is so much more to "Mask Of The Devil" once you take the time to really listen. As diverse as lead vocalist Stacy Peak is when it comes to her vocal inspirations*, Savage Master as a whole seems to be inspired by not just Exciter and Venom (musically and lyrically F.Y.I.!), but eighties metal (Brocas Helm, Dark Wizard, Gotham City, Lizzy Bordon, OZ, Warlord, Stormwitch and even Taist Of Iron(!), traditional heavy metal and doom (Accept, Malice, Halloween, Black Sabbath, etc.) and the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene (Blood Money, Avenger, Grim Reaper, Cloven Hoof, Pagan Altar, Witchfinder General, Witchfynde, Desolation Angels and Hell). Incidentally that is a hell of a lot of enchanting charms  for a release which ends up clocking in at under 30 minutes! But damn if it doesn't just fit all snug and tight! Which brings us all the way back around to the beginning and the crew responsible for laying all of this sinister metal to tape! Co-produced by Michael Kent O' Bryan and Savage Master members Stacey "Savage" Peak and Adam Neal, "Mask Of The Devil" was engineered and mixed by Michael Kent O' Bryan at Wax & Tape Studios before it was mastered by the Bart Gabriel at Skol Records Studio. Collectively this lot has given fans of occult metal and N.W.O.T.H.M. plenty to get excited about as "Mask Of The Devil" is as classic a debut album album as one can get! If there's a downside to be had it's the album's short-length. At not even 30 minutes a album like "Mask Of The Devil" disappears as quickly as it appears. If you walk out of the room for even a few minutes you are likely to miss a great deal of the action. There's that and then there is the lyrically content of "Mask Of The Devil". More often than not Savage Master hits things out of the ballpark thanks to some truly evil and downright spooky material. However there are times on Savage Master's debut when the possibility arises and one just has to ask the question that should NEVER be asked. And that is "You didn't happen to go to a songwriting workshop taught by Cronos did you?"! All lyrical-cheesiness aside, "Mask Of The Devil" is a fun, throwback metal kind of album with bewitching female vocals and a vibe which will remind more than a few people of the early punk-infused British metal scene (Iron Maiden's first two albums, Venom, Tank, etc.). It's also a great debut album for a band that is still young and growing and poised for bigger and better things in the years to come! You can find Savage Master online here: https://www.facebook.com/savagemaster666 and for more information on Skol Records be sure to check out the labels Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/skolrecords

*While waiting to receive a promo copy of "Mask Of The Devil" I took the time to do further resource on this spook-fest of a band. I can across an interview that Stacey did where she said that besides Rob Halford (vocally-speaking) it was bands such as Witchfinder General, Warlock, Candlemass, Danzig, Angel Witch, Diamond Head and Coven (to name a few!) that influenced her as an artist.




http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Kentucky+heavy+metal+band+Savage+Master+announce+upcoming+tour+dates! 

Kentucky heavy metal band Savage Master announce upcoming tour dates!

Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky and fronted by the AMAZING Stacey Peak, Savage Master is a FANTASTIC N.W.O.T.H.M. band which has absolutely floored me with their larger then life take on classic metal! With Savage Master's full-length debut album, "Mask of the Devil", now out on Skol Records* the band is all set to hit the road in support of what will likely be one of 2014's best traditional heavy metal releases! If you are fortune enough to dwell within close proximity to any of the following venues you can witness Savage Master for yourself live and in living color!

Nov 6 Berlin Music Club Fort. Wayne, IN 
Nov 7 Underground Lounge Chicago, IL 
Nov 8 Corktown Tavern Detroit, MI 
Nov 10 Highland Tap Room Louisville, KY 
Nov 12 Three Links Dallas, TX 
Nov 13 The Mix, San Antonio, TX 
Nov 14 Rudyards British Pub, Houston, TX 
Nov 15 The Tavern Hattiesburg, MS 
Nov 16 JJ's Bohemia in Chattanooga, TN

Sadly for me Savage Master will be a ways off from Ohio for their upcoming tour dates, but nonetheless I would like to encourage all of our readers who have the chance to venture out and beyond the power of this Kentucky heavy metal band! For more information about Stacey Peak and Savage Master be sure to head here: https://www.facebook.com/savagemaster666


*I'm hoping to review "Mask of the Devil" within the next week or so. In the meantime you can check out the very cool number "Death Rides The Highway" from Savage Master's new album by clicking on this link!