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Space Vacation: Cosmic Vanguard

Classic Heavy/Speed Metal

4.5/5.0

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Pure Steel Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 28.11.2014

One thing to say about the strength and tradition of classic heavy metal is that it's presence is largely, and happily, indefatigable. Keeping that spirit alive is Bay Area metal retro-men Space Vacation on their latest album Cosmic Vanguard. This is total 1983 deja vu all over again.

Space Vacation

Without regard to modern conventions (thank you, very much), the Vacationers bring old school heavy metal in it's best form. It's touched with a generous amount of speed metal, adding a galloping pace in every song. Now add in the ambitious twin guitar attack offering a bunch of riffs and leads, the thumping, yet grooving, bass line, and clean catchy vocal arrangements. Then inject an abundance of melody and harmony from nearly every element, and you have the remembrance of NWoBHM, only in an American wrapper. Unapologetically, Space Vacation's approach to heavy metal is pretty darn simple, and it works well.

Actually, it may work a little too well. While the songs are not without some variation, those elements are also largely repetitive throughout. You have to catch the nuances here like the subtle melodic hard rock catchiness of the refrains within More Is More or Get Down. Or the spry, but infectious, guitar ripple that sparks The Living Damned. Another is the rather large and sharp riffs of Land of Steel, making it, likely, the heaviest song here. Something else to catch is the occasional short flurry of drums that begins several songs including Witch Wizard or More Is More. Fundamentally, while most every song may seem a galloping repetition, the dynamic and correct mixture of groove, melody, harmony, and the fraggin' boatload, we're talking cruise ship here, of riffs and bitchin' solos make Space Vacation 'true' metal monsters. And you won't want to miss a single tasty lick. Enjoy.

Space Vacation - Cosmic Vanguard

While most every song may seem a galloping repetition, the dynamic mixture of groove, melody, harmony, and the fraggin' boatload, we're talking cruise ship here, of riffs and bitchin' solos make Space Vacation 'true' metal monsters. And you won't want to miss a single tasty lick. Enjoy.

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This experience deserves mention for one very good reason: Finland's One Desire is one of the best classic AOR melodic hard rock bands in the genre and, perhaps, the world, right now So, I also apologize, in ... [ Read More ]