Vicious Rumors
Title: Electric Punishment
Label: SPV / Steamhammer Records
'Electric Punishment' is Vicious Rumors eleventh studio album and is a storming offering from these American veterans, it opens with the exceedingly heavy 'I Am The Gun', hitting you like a speeding bullet, with a fury of drums and a sing-along thrashing chorus that is instantly likeable. This will surely go down a storm live.
'Black X List' is classic sounding Power Metal, classic Vicious Rumors, it’s really excellent and if you haven’t heard of them before this would be one of the first tracks from these Californian Metallers that I would introduce you to showing the essence, and meaning of the band.
This band has a massive history, but 'Black X List' and the title track could fit on any of the previous albums and would still be my favourite tracks from them, the aforementioned title track 'Electric Punishment' oozes Eighties nostalgia. It's doomy, chugging and gripping, the longest track on here at nearly six minutes, this is Metal paradise.
'D-Block' is thrashing, and hellishly fast, with a mosh-pit frenzy of guitars being flayed and heads being banged. 'Escape (From Hell)' is the longest track on here, running at nearly seven minutes, it's majestic, intriguing and spell blinding. 'Dime Store Prophet' cranks up the metal and spirals and chugs into the room, it's killer!
'Together We Unite' has arena anthem written all over it. It’s a bit different, a tribute to the bands fans old and new and this will have the crowd singing along I'm sure, with lighters swaying into the night. 'Eternally' is a strange, dark song, it’s different and I am not too sure what to make of it to be honest, it really is the weakest song on here and doesn’t really belong ... Now talking of belonging 'Thirst To Kill' is back up to speed and the superb cover of a Kiss song 'Strange Ways' finishes off a superb album from this iconic band.
It astounds me how this band have never been bigger and always been so underrated, while it’s true the band have had a lot of personnel changes in their past, the band has never changed its motivation, or followed trends and it’s a real shame. I think this is one of the strongest albums from these veterans and should be in every metal-heads collection!
Vicious Rumors are due to headline countless clubs and playing some huge festivals (the Head-Bangers Open Air in Germany and the Alcatraz festival in Belgium, among many others the band then head to Japan and the USA.
Review by: Seb Di Gatto
Tracklisting:
1. I Am The Gun
2. Black X List
3. Electric Punishment
4. D-Block
5. Escape (From Hell)
6. Dime Store Prophet
7. Together We Unite
8. Eternally
9. Thirst For A Kill
10. Strange Ways
