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Metall: Metalheads
Metall Metalheads CD Album Review

Metall: Metalheads

Heavy Metal
3.0/5.0

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Iron Shield Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 29.03.2017

Metall's origins and unspectacular existence date back some 35 years to Berlin Germany. They recorded a few singles, changed their name to Headless in 1988 and cut a split LP, and then disbanded in 1991 over mutual disagreements. Founding member, bass player, and Halford Rock Cafe (Berlin) owner Sven Rappoldt resuscitated the band in 2013. Now with a full crew, Metall drops their very first long player with Metalheads.

Metall Band Photo

Metall

If you have metal in your band name, metal in the album title, and you own a bar named after the the most famous metal god of all, Rob Halford, you damn well better bring the heavy metal goods. Basically, Metall delivers old school "keep it true" heavy metal, sometimes with the gallop of speed metal. The formula for this four-piece outfit is pretty simple. Heavy and sharp riffs with ripping guitar solos are joined by an equally heavy, steady to speedy, rhythm section. The single guitar line adds both harmony and melody, the bass and drums plenty of groove. Vocalist Joel Stieve Dawe generally sings clean and melodic, yet can be raw, and a tad screamo, at times. Mostly, you really can't understand him.

As for the songs, there's something of a sonic redundancy to the album. Some of this comes from the aforementioned elements, especially the timbre of the riffage and Dawe's vocals which, at times, have a dull tonal quality about them. But mostly, for this listener, excepting the flashy guitar solos, there's nothing about the songs that really stood out. I could have easily skipped through the songs without missing much. In the end I found Metalheads to be derivative and largely unspectacular old school heavy metal. Maybe what goes around, really does come around again. Alternatively, on the positive side, Metall does live up to their name with their 21st century expression of traditional heavy metal. Sorry I don't have a video or song to share with you.

Saturn - No Video Available

No video available



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The Bottom Line

In the end I found Metalheads to be derivative and largely unspectacular old school heavy metal. Alternatively, on the positive side, Metall does live up to their name with their 21st century expression of traditional heavy metal.

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