As much as we love the Coverdale-ish pipes and slaughter-the-lambs metal seriousness of 'ol J.B., the gruff and growly grumpiness of the Spice era made for the best SPIRITUAL BEGGARS albums. And after delivering two hellgasmic tie dye 'n skullring platters with the MUSHROOM RIVER BAND, Spice's COC-like vanishing act had us checking the backs of milk cartons furiously since 2002.

Resurfacing this year with the gut-level modern biker thrash of KAYSER, Spice is out to prove that he hasn't spent the last three years watching the home shopping channel. What's missing is the lopsided Gillian-with-Sabbath or Dianno-with-Maiden snap of the back BEGGARS catalog. But that's ok, because "Kaiserhof" is an unchained attack of slicing riffs and psycho-snaking twin guitar leads, all doused in a bubbly hot tar-bath of Spice's Araya-esque vocal smarts. The man simply has the perfect metal voice, and it's quite the cattle prod pushing the WHIPLASH/ENTOMBED/SLAYER decapitations-a-plenty presented here. One listen to the racing opener "1919" or the delightful riff-rattle of "The Waltz" and you'll be hooked for life. Definitely worth the price of an import.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.kayser1.com

MP3 SOUND SCRAP: Good Citizen

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