Andrew Danso

Metal and 80s nostalgists seem to be living on forever, evident in Crimson Cult, the latest sounding leather wearers drenched in guitar licks and raspy vocal performances, you no doubt became enchanted with when you were an awkward, angsty teen. But that’s just the problem, this is an album satirically withheld in a period over three decades old. For any other genre, it’s labelled resurgence; but in metal it’s still considered a ‘tribute’ to bawdy traditions. And yet, to think that the tradition of your droning teenage life probably inspired you to the edgy metal plains of 1980... building tradition within a period seems, well, very un-metal.

So what about the actual music? Graze around the plains of Megadeth’s “Rust In Peace”, Metallica’s “Ride The Lightening”, some late Iron Maiden thrashing, and there you have “Tales of Doom”, albeit a much lesser concoction than that great list. Opener “State of Fear” chugs along similar to Megadeth’s “Holy Wars” with a Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) inspired vocal slapped on top. It’s a performance that is acceptable at best, but clumsy most of the time, not through its tonality, but through the sheer amount of syllables vocalist Walter Stüfer wants to get in on top of the riff. In microcosm this is how the remaining album plays out, sticking thoroughly by the old school, and clumsily wrecking its head on 80s technicalities. Some fresh ideas, please.

5/10 Powerplay issue #142