UMUR
"Twilight of the Idols" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US heavy metal act The Lord Weird Slough Feg (shortened to just Slough Feg in the period 2005-2019). The album was released through Doomed Planet Records in 1998. The CD version of the album features 4 tracks not included on the vinyl version. The Lord Weird Slough Feg formed in 1990 and released a string of demos before releasing their eponymously titled debut album in 1996.
The music on "Twilight of the Idols" is traditional heavy metal with an occasional celtic/traditional folk touch (there are even limited use of bagpipes played by drummer Scott Beach). References to artists like Manilla Road, (early) Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Cream pop up from time to time. The celtic elements remind me sligthly of Thin Lizzy and are especially dominant in the folky "Brave Connor Mac". In addition to "Brave Connor Mac", which is a standout track on the album, other highlights include "The Wickerman", "The Great Ice Wars" and the heavily Black Sabbath influenced "Bi-Polar Disorder".
The musicianship are generally strong and lead vocalist/guitarist Mike Scalzi has a distinct sounding voice and delivery. His vocal lines are sometimes delivered in a staccato type style and aligned a bit too much with the guitar riffs, but his performance here is for the most part enjoyable. The sound production is organic and raw and suits the music well. So all in all "Twilight of the Idols" is a decent release by The Lord Weird Slough Feg. The quality of the material is a bit too inconsistent though and there are also too many unremarkable tracks to deal with, so in the end the album is a bit of a mixed bag. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.