• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Ouijabeard: Die and Let Live

Heavy Metal

4.0/5.0

Facebook
High Roller Records
by Craig Hartranft,  11.28.2012

Ouijabeard is the side project of Dr. Living Dead vocalist Dr. Ape, and Die and Let Live is quite the departure from the thrash metal of his main gig. This basically early Eighties style melodic heavy metal inspired by, according to Ape, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Kiss's The Elder, though I'm not sure that last one is worth admitting to. Ape also treats some of the history and myths associated with the infamous Russian mystic Grigorij Rasputin.

For this project, excepting guitar solos performed by guest musicians, Ape handled all the instruments. His vocals on Die and Let Live is not the near hardcore style for DLD, but more melodic and clean. Actually, he's a darn good singer.

Die and Let Live is also a rather brief album, clocking around 33 minutes, with nearly half the songs less than three minutes long. Nevertheless, Ape delivers some solid traditional, sometimes speedier, heavy metal. While I can put my finger on the atmosphere, there's an almost stoner or psychedelic feeling to the songs as well. Ape has described the album as a 'space rock opera,' and that may also fit the atmosphere. After several spins Ouijabeard reminds me of Corsair, the psychedelic pseudo-prog band from America, which attempts a similar space rock sound. In the end, I found Die and Let Live to be quite surprising and very entertaining. Best picks: Signs of Moreia, Curse of the Stones, Keep the Streets Empty for Me, and the longest track, Die and Let Live. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Ouijabeard's Die and Let Live is a surprisingly entertaining album of classic heavy metal with more than a little psychedelic or space rock feel.

Alphabetical Index

The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]