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Mob Rules: Beast Reborn
Mob Rules - Beast Reborn Music Review

Mob Rules: Beast Reborn

Melodic Heavy Metal
4.5/5.0

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SPV/Steamhammer
Released: 24.08.2018
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 29.08.2018

Next year Germany's Mob Rules will celebrate their 25th year in the heavy metal universe. Meanwhile, with sole founding member and vocalist Klaus Dirks at the helm, the band returns with their ninth studio album, Beast Reborn. With the new album, Mob Rules introduces a new guitarist to their mob of fans with Sonke Janssen (Vindictify, ex-Wichita Falls, et al).

Mob Rules Band Photo Click For Larger Image

Mob Rules

To say that Mob Rules is predictable is also to say they're consistent and constant in their musical approach. The band sticks with their classic European melodic heavy metal with a twist of power metal. Always, the song compositions are filled with power and groove, twin guitar harmony and rich roaring leads, melodic vocals and vocal harmony, and more than a few catchy hooks in melodies and refrains. You might even call Mob Rules a thinking man's metal band. Dirks and company often write songs that refer to historical people and events such as Children's Crusade, the 13th century tragedy, War of Currents, the electric battle between Edison and Tesla, or The Explorer, revisiting Magellan and Columbus. Other times it's fantasy (Traveller In Time), ethnic mythology (Revenant Of The Sea), or a Sherlock Holmes mystery (Sinister Light) from The Hound of the Baskervilles. (For more information about individual songs, read the explanations provided by the band.)

For each of these songs, and the others, the music is appealing and entertaining. This is especially so when the melody and harmony rise amidst the heaviness and then are complimented by sweet refrains and soaring solos. In this context, favorites would include Shores Ahead, with a nice synth breakdown after the midpoint; the pure AOR power and groove of Way Back Home; and the touch of acoustic guitar within Revenant Of The Sea and War Of the Currents, easily my top pick. The album is capped with a slow to soaring metal ballad with Klaus Dirks in duet with an unnamed female vocalist. All in all, Beast Reborn finds Mob Rules in fine form, always and consistently executing entertaining melodic heavy metal. Easily recommended.



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The Bottom Line

All in all, Beast Reborn finds Mob Rules in fine form, always and consistently executing entertaining melodic heavy metal. Easily recommended.

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