Time Signature
Out of the darkness...
Genre: traditional heavy metal
Karthago Records are on a mission from the metal god - namely, to bring into the light by now obscure "one hit wonders of heavy metal history" in the form of their Heavy Metal Classics Collection. The German act Bloody Climax's one and only album, "Back to the Wall", is the first installment in the series.
And this is really good stuff. It definitely deserves to be brought forth to the masses. Drawing on the New Wave of Heavy Metal, Bloody Climax combine the drive and energy of the largely underground NWoBHM scene with the strong riffage of the likes of Judas Priest (the title track features a Priest-inspired riff). A melodic feel with roots in melodic hard rock and AOR has also made its way onto the album, making sure that the songs are both catchy and hardrocking. Tracks like 'Edge of the Daring' and 'Turn to Ice' are extremely well wrought and deserve status as metal classics, while the instrumental 'Bloody Climax' is rich in wonderful twin guitar noodling. 'Cinderella' is perhaps the weakest track on the album. It s a ballad, but it is actually the heavier parts that do not appeal to me, while the ballady parts are pretty interesting. Not all tracks on the album are equally strong, but the level of quality is generally high.
And the high quality also characterizes the seven bonus tracks on the Kathargo version.
The level of musicianship is impeccable, and I particularly like the blazing guitar solos and the old school metal riffage. The vocal melodies are also enjoyable. The production is a bit uneven, but that probably owes to the state of the recording that the reissue is based on.
Fans of 80s metal MUST get hold of this album!