HOLY MOTHER — Toxic Rain (review)

HOLY MOTHER — Toxic Rain album cover Album · 1998 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
1967/ 1976
Actually I always wondered what real differences there are between thrash metal, USA Power Metal and Speed Metal. It's not easy answer. In the case of Holy Mother's "Toxic Rain" the style is a mix between these three genres. Thrash for guitar, Speed for drums (but power for tempo) and thrash for vocals, also if Power for final result. Strange that this music, at the end, is only an extreme expression of Power Metal!

In my opinion Rich Naso is one of the more technical axeman I've ever heard. Wha-wha and fuzz are for him a way to exaggerate the sound of the guitar, how aggressive a few times I've heard. But Naso is, at the end, another Neoclassical axeman. James Harris is a hell of a drummer, a son of Gene Hoglan, Jorg Michael, Cozy Powell, Scott Travis and similar drummers. Harris' parts are technical even if masked by the use of double bass drums. Yet the fluidity that I listening isn't common. Randy Cowen, that plays a Sukop 5-string bass is not only a rhythm musician. In fact, here and there (and often) we hear in small rhythmic soli very technical, though very short. Mike Tirelli is a good vocalist, not banal, brutal style, dry and powerful. The end result is similar to the eruptions of Vesuvius (79 A.D.), Krakatoa (1883) or Eyjafjallajökull!!!

In this album is present also a tribute to Priest with the cover of "You've Another Thing Comin'". In this sense the style of this album is a sort of pure return to R'n'R with "Painkiller" in vein!!! And in fact the last three songs "symphtom of Withdrawal", "Melting Pot" ansd "Losing My Bet" that are Classic (traditional) Metal, in the style of 80's Priest but more aggressive (similar to Running Wild style, but more in Power field) not please me completely.

But for first 8 songs this album is a pure masterpiece. And I think that you must insert this CD into the CD player and lift up the volume. You can't repent?
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

I, the Destroyer Black Metal
SVARTFJELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
A Sonication Technical Death Metal
OBSCURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 7 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 7 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 7 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 7 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 7 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed