AXE CRAZY - Creatures Of The Hunt
December 27, 2023, 11 months ago
(Independent)
Third album in the 15 year career of this Polish outfit. High energy, piercing vocal power metal in the Canuck tradition (envision a mix of Skull Fist and Striker). At times a bit over the top (some vintage Dragonforce hyperbole) but lovingly so... as evidence, check out the shrieked intro to "Diamond Blade (Battle Tales Part 1)", albeit not the lone example. While the tempo is typically blazing, there's a simple/repetitive, singable melody to the proceedings.
Despite the title, the buzz saw guitar which commences "Wild For The Night" suddenly drops to mid-paced, for its entirety. The break sees twin leads and plenty of tapping/hammer-ons. "Armed & Dangerous" kicks off with an homage to the Metallica debut, apart from the yelping vocals. Add in a bit of video game sound effects, to bring it into the new millennium. More gritty, near thrash riffs, amongst whammy bar and fretboard tapping, at the start of "Chamber Of Thrills”. The high pitched wail, added just for accent, is like a cherry atop a mountain of whipped cream on an ice cream sundae: completely unnecessary, but somehow artistically deficient without one.
"Straight Ahead" is another speedy, sing-along party anthem. Hard to imagine their live show isn't an absolute blast. A spoken "Mayday!" message greets otherwise crazed "Thunder Zone", while "One Night Of Glory (Battle Tales Part 2)" finale gallops to a more traditional, Teutonic power metal beat.
In the right frame of mind, a guilty pleasure.
