PAINMUSEUM - Metal For Life
November 3, 2004, 20 years ago
(CMM)
Former Halford guitarist Metal Mike Chlasciak lives and breathes metal. While the genre may just be a form of artistic, creative and cathartic expression to some, this guy's ethical sphere is determined by the might of the power chord and double bass. More power to him, 'cos in Metal For Life he's put together a pretty feisty livewire of a record, one that's full of visceral and innate energy, i.e. a reminder of why we started liking this music in the first place. Sure, there's a Halford/Roy Z influence. And yeah, there are (many) nods to Painkiller-era Judas Priest. But there's also a sense of unbridled purity, an essence that's slightly naÔve but still so sure of itself, much like those early Maiden albums. The vocals on Metal For Life have a slightly blackened scourge to them which heightens the intensity but, like I said, there's already exuberance to burn all over this thing. Much better than expected: Metal Mike's for real (as if we didn't already know).
