MESSIAH'S KISS - Get Your Bulls Out
November 30, 2014, 10 years ago
(Massacre)
Good thing they put a muscle flexing bovine (complete with nose ring) on the front cover, lest people misread that title! Seven years since Dragonheart, the multinational Messiah's Kiss, after surviving a bout with stomach cancer, they're still fronted by the much traveled Mike Tirelli (ex-Riot/ ex-Burning Starr/ ex-Holy Mother), returning with bountiful treasure trove (up to 16 tracks, including bonus editions) of hard rocking Americanized proto-metal anthems. Guitar and pounding drums are the first things heard, opening “Living In Paradise” which has something of a toned down Pantera riff.“Only Murderers Kill Time” has a decided Ronnie James Dio quality about it (an acoustic-only rendition is one of the bonus cuts), while the loose, aggro “Mission To Kill” has a punk backbone atop powerful metal exoskeleton. The guitar dominated “Symphony Of Sin” ends with a cappella vocals and a wayward Eastern rhythm. Seeming like a Sammy Hagar/Montrose leftover, there's a redlining “Nobody Knows Your Name”. Contrary to its name, the headbanger's delight “Whisper A Prayer” features screaming guitar and an ADD sense of urgency. Speaking of fretboard burn, check out “Buried Alive”. Hopefully this teasing Kiss leads to the opportunity for in-person/live, “bulls out” consummation!
