On disc: Vicious Rumors

 
 Something Burning
 
- Volker Raabe -
 
 


 
 Sadistic Symphony
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Sadistic Symphony
 
- Volker Raabe -
 
 


 
 Warball
 
- Umberto Mino -
 
 


 
 Razorback Killers
 
- Umberto Mino -
 
 

Razorback Killers

(SPV - 2011)



 
 

 

Another important comeback in 2011, one the most important bands in US metal: Vicious Rumors. We left this band in 2006 with their excellent Warball with James Rivera, and after tons of problems and some tours in the world, they have this new line-up with the new singer Brian Allen, guitarist Kyoshi Morgan, on bass guitar Stephen Goodwin and the stoical members Larry Howe on drums and mastermind Geoff Thorpe on the other guitar. This new Razorback Killers is on the classic VR style, fast and furious anthems mixed with incredible energy and great guitars!!! No news means good news, so anyway let's analyze this new episode of VR discography.....

Murderball is simply a new classic their live shows, a solid mid tempo with great choirs, great guitar harmonies..... Simply another demonstration of what VR can do!!!!! Black sounds so dark (in the VR style), obscure, a mix of their style and some echoes of Mercyful Fate and Heaven and Hell, a song with some evil energy inside. Razorback Blade shows us the fastest side of VR, another killer song like their old classic tunes Six Stepsisters.... Another brilliant chapter came out from the songbook of the US metal lions!!! Blood Stained Sunday starts with a sulfured intro, that became another killer mid-tempo song that sometimes sounds so 'modern' like the Priest at Jugulator era.... A good song, but not excellent! Pearl Of Wisdom is another song where darkness and obscurity are the leaders, another demonstration of how VR were and why they are one of the most influential bands of this world, another good combination of power, melodies and harmonies. A song that seems came out from any session with Carl Albert (R.I.P)! All I Want Is You have a special guest on vocals, drummer Larry Howe, and personally I love this song! A good track not only a filler!!! Axe To Grind take VR on their usual fast and furious style, a track that will take no prisoners!!!! Let The Garden Burn is another great and anthemic track, another track that makes your heads bang until death!!! AMAZING!!!! Rite Of Devastation is another classic tune from VR where any kind of words aren't enough to describe how beautiful this song is! This new Vicious Rumors' chapter is closed by Deal With The Devil is another anthemic mid-tempo track, cool but not so impressive.

At the end of this record I feel satisfied about Razorback Killers, and personally more satisfied because the metal world haven't lost one the brightest bands... Vicious Rumors!!!!! Welcome back guys, see ya on tour somewhere!!!

 
 










Umberto Mino


  
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Warball

(Mascot Records - 2006)



 
 

 

Finally an opportunity to write about a band with a lot of bad luck and a lot of talent: Vicious Rumors. This band with its leaders Geoff Thorpe (guitar) and Larry Howe (drums) has the opportunity, another chance, after the death of their talented singer Carl Albert. Finally a full CD with a real singer, not a guitar man or someone wannabe a singer, Mr. James Rivera (Helstar, Seven Witches) and a talented guitarist like the famous Mr. Brad Gillis (only on 5 tracks)!!!!!

Most of you will ask, if this are enough to made a good record........ The answer is yes of course!!!!! James Rivera is a highly talented singer and he demonstrate to everybody how a metal singer must sing from the opener Sonic Rebellion. Mr Miracle is a up-mid tempo that shakes our head until the next track Dying Every Day will crash and smash every part of our body and room!!! A real killer track in the classic VR style!!!!! All the album is on a very high level, the first CD they made after the Carl Albert's death on the high quality standards of their past albums. If you miss this album in 2006, right now is the time to re-discover this album and the entire discography of a band that deserve really more, a band that never follow the trends, a band of true metal!!!!! Long live Vicious Rumors!!!!!
 
 










Umberto Mino


  
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Sadistic Symphony

(Point Music - 2000)



 
 

 

A new album of Vicious Rumors is in the stores. The last two releases were disappointing for most of the long time fans, but now Geoff Thorpe is back! Back with a new band and an album which should have be the follow-up of Word Of Mouth! Heavy, melodic, aggressive.... This album has all the typical elements of the VR highlights. Singer Morgan Thorne isn't a copy of Carl Albert (RIP), but a really great singer. Morgan will soon be known by every power metal fan! With Sadistic Symphony they are back! Please come on tour and rock the metal world!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Sadistic Symphony

(Point Music - 2000)



 
 

 

First I should say that the new album Sadistic Symphony of Vicious Rumors isn't a masterpiece! After almost 10 years - since Word Of Mouth - they are now closer to the old, classic Vicious Rumors then ever. Sure, you can never really replace someone like Carl Albert and beside that mastermind Geoff Thorpe had to go through hard time with the band. He's back with a new, young and hungry band. Musically it's a 'back to the roots' album, so forget about Something Burning and Cyberchrist! The album opener Break shows that it was a smart move to hire singer Morgan Thorne who can convince the listener with his powerful and variable voice - listen to the title track! This impression got more and more manifested when you listen to the other tracks. Even the return to the more melodic song structures remind of the days of Digital Dictator, Vicious Rumors and Welcome To The Ball. So, Vicious Rumors is back, even if the production could have been better....
 
 










Volker Raabe
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)


  
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Something Burning

(Massacre Records - 1996)



 
 

 

Not necessary to turn up the past, fact is that Vicious Rumors changed. Now they try a comeback with mastermind Geoff Thorpe on guitar and vocals! Everybody who is into their old compositions will have a hard time to accept the new release Something Burning. The album is produced by Vincent Wojno (worked e.g. with Machinehead) had has the heaviest, most brutal sound the die-hard fans ever heard from the Californians. Songs like Concentration, Perpetual or Mouth don't miss the metal roots. It's good that the band is still alive, many other bands would have give up after such a tragedy (editor: the deathly accident of Carl Albert).

So, give them time to get back to 'normal'!
 
 










Volker Raabe
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)


  
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