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Disarm Goliath: Born to Rule

Classic Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)

4.0/5.0

Website Facebook
Pure Steel Records
by Craig Hartranft,  01.03.2013

Actually, to be correct, they should have named their band Behead Goliath, because that's what young king David did when he slew Goliath on the battlefield as recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. But lets not get picky or digress too much. More to the point: Born to Rule is only Disarm Goliath's second album in 13 years. It was released on CD and in digital formats in the Spring of 2012.

Disarm Goliath:: why's that guy smiling.

So why the interest now? Disarm Goliath has been picked up by Germany's Pure Steel Records and they will be releasing Born to Rule in a limited edition vinyl LP. It's deja vu all over again. More specifically, it's 1982 all over again as Disarm Goliath is straight out of the NWOBHM mold. What would be even better? Releasing this album on cassette. (I still have my Yahama stereo cassette deck from 1987.)

For classic and melodic heavy metal in that seminal tradition, Born to Rule is pretty darn good. There's some great riffage and leads from twin guitars, arrangements that traverse between mid-tempo to speedier metal and, of course, the requisite metal, sometimes screamer, vocals. However, vocalist Steve Bell can get a little problematic: always singing clean but also being quite exaggerated, even raw, at times. Nevertheless, it all fits and works. Whether delivered via vinyl or digital, Born to Rule is interesting, entertaining, and more than a small time warp back to the Eighties. Recommended. Top tracks: Who Rules the Night, Man of Sins, Raining Steel, and Betrayer.

(Check the band's shop on their website for the CD, if you'd rather not pay the price for vinyl from Germany.)

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

Disarm Goliath's Born to Rule is an entertaining heavy metal time warp back to the age of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era, and it's delivered on vinyl LP. How cool is that?

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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 ]