SILENT FORCE - Infatuator
December 17, 2001, 23 years ago
(Massacre/InsideOut)
Infatuator is Silent Force's second album, but the debut is nothing but a distant memory in the wake of this tidal wave of sound. Fronted by singer DC Cooper and guitarist Alex Beyrodt, Silent Force has evolved into the sort of no-nonsense, bash-you-over-the-head screaming metal machine that makes you wet your pants with glee at hearing such raucous tunage blasting out of the stereo. Infatuator is, quite simply, the album that Judas Priest should have made instead of that travesty called Demolition. They dish out NWOBHM-styled riffs without apology, fusing them with vocals that no Royal Hunt fan on this or any other planet thought Cooper was capable of, with a little bit of HammerFall/Stratovarius speed thrown in on a few tracks, this last feature being needless in light of the strength of the other songs. Truly a jaw-dropper, what with the melodic no-holds-barred assault of killers like 'Fall Into Oblivion', 'Gladiator', 'Hear Me Calling' and the damn close to 'Painkiller' title track. There are sure to be those that accuse Silent Force of being a Priest knock-off - the band includes a cover of 'All Guns Blazing' just to make sure it happens - and they certainly cannot deny their influences, but why should they? Infatuator is an album that many Priest fans need right now when you consider Demolition. Rob Halford, if you're reading, I've found an opening act for your next tour. Can't go wrong with this one.
