So I've been listening to the first LUCIFER'S FRIEND album, the third VENOM album, and that DIAMOND HEAD thing that Metal Blade put out forever and a day ago a hell of a lot lately, which kind of prepped me for this. Y'see, it ain't all that different. Let me ask you, d'ya like stuff like DEEP PURPLE, LUCIFER'S FRIEND, SABBATH, ST VITUS, and the NWOBHM? Then you should be able to sink yer teef into this one just fine. There's plenty of both sides of the camp throughout this in a more downtuned fashion. I like it.

Now, note that I didn't say I love it. I haven't had enough time with it and there are some moments I'm not especially big on. Mainly it's the overt newer metal influence. The vocals are so old school that it feels out of place overtop some of the tunes at points. It just feels like it needs more of a harshness to it to match the tuning level these guys are at geetar-wise. Regardless, it's a minor bitch because the riffs are good and the vocals are good. I guess it's just sour grapes because I feel the riffs and know where they are coming from, but I feel that the tuning or maybe equipment is blowing it some of the time. A track like "Wolf's Return" should have a lighter, more MAIDEN-like guitar tone to me as opposed to the more downtuned almost E chug hawdcaw sound to the gits. But then one listen to the opening riffs of "Blood Oath" and all is forgiven. I don't know that I'll be putting this into rotation in the car, but if I'm home and drunk anytime soon (yea that never happens) I could see popping it on between the first SPIRITUAL BEGGARS and maybe "Mob Rules" - especially the latter because this has a lot of that feel to it. Tons of post-Ozzy Sabs moments here. Which makes sense since the Dio/Gillian years shared lots in common with all the bands mentioned in the first paragraph. They were trying to stay current y'see, but were also deep into that not-quite-prog but not-quite-straightforward rock thing of the early 70's. Put it this way, a cover of "Turn Up The Night" would fit perfectly on here.

- Two Tub Tony

OFFICIAL SITE: www.grandmagus.com

MP3 SOUND SCRAP: Blood Oath

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