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MILLARIUM
"First Blood Running"
(Hansel & Gretel; 2015)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
If you're a fan of old school thrash, then you need look no further than Millarium's new CD, "First Blood Running."
Riveting from beginning to (almost) end, "First Blood Running" is packed solid with driving guitar, throbbing bass and speedy drums. This German-based band started as a metal cover band and you can feel nearly every influence they've picked up along the way with this, their first full-length studio album.
Of course, that means all the hard rock/heavy metal clichés are there but, if you're like me, that's what you want! Don't get me wrong, "First Blood Running" has a modern feel to it, but the specters of the legends of the genre are there, making the album almost irresistible.
You may have noticed I've used the word "almost" twice in this review. That's because the last track on "First Blood Running" is a cover of my favorite song of all time, "Born to Be Wild." I have an enormous collection of cover versions of this song and, well, this one just doesn't work. I have to admire the band's effort. They tried to change things up a bit, by giving the song a different guitar style and rhythm. Unfortunately, it just falls flat. The song is nearly unrecognizable and, although I like cover versions that take on a life of their own, this one just never takes off. The good news is that the other nine tracks, original tracks, are much, much better.
For more information, check out http://www.millarium.de.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2015 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
18 Mar 2024 11:16:03 -0500.
