Metal Review: The Oath-Self Titled

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Label: Rise Above Limited

Website

If you like a change of pace and relish a trip to the dark side once in a while, The Oath should be right up your alley. Made up of two women who love to push against the constraints of society and thumb their noses at convention, The Oath hooked me from the first moment I cranked on the speakers. The band calls Berlin their home, but is well versed at traveling across Europe enthralling new fans wherever they go. The members are: Johanna Sadonis (vocals), Linnéa Olsson (guitar), live performances by Andrew Prestidge (drums) and Leo Smee (bass). Past members include Vincent Wager (drums) and Simon Bouteloup (bass).

Linnéa and Johanna know their way around the metal scene. Both Berliners at heart, they have found their love for the city they call home has influenced their work. Linnéa was once a member of the underground band Sonic Ritual and Johanna founded the Kill ‘Em All club, Berlin’s go to location for the best metal music around. The two met once and it was dark magic destined for greatness. They formed The Oath in 2012. A blend of 70’s and 80’s style metal, it brings to mind bands like Dio that I grew up listening to. Raw and full of teeth.

“Night Child” roars to life with some wicked riffs. The growling guitar and percussive elements ease into Johanna’s vocals. Darkness abounds with a tale of love, lust and desire as night descends and wildness awakens. The everyday world falls away as the guitar wails.

“Leaving Together” begins in a tentative plucky fashion that is both thought provoking and stirring. The whisper of percussion drifts by like a vapor. Deliberate riffs purr and flex their muscles, perfectly controlled. This piece is slower, but the richness is delightful. Inner demons stir within. Temptation tugs at your heart strings and gouges at your self-restraint. This song is a nod at a friend who ended his own life and the temptation to walk the same path. The human soul is tainted by troubled desire. The old gods know you for what you are and come to claim you. There is no rush…they have all the time in the world. They know it too, and as the song reaches the final quarter, it is a dark celebration of death’s victory over the living. There is no choice. He comes to claim us all. Sometimes it is the waiting that is the hardest of all…

“Silver and Dust” ramps up with pleasant riffs and guitar sequences as it grumbles along and trips into a fantasy worthy of movies like Van Helsing or Underworld. Silver and dust are often used in wars with vampires and are the symbols of the divinity used throughout the piece. The music is stirring and could be the soundtrack to any modern day vampire movie. It makes me think of Sigil Fire, the novella I wrote under my pen name that will be released next month. Death. Fire. Fallen angels and a war between Heaven and Hell. This song is going on my playlist. It seriously rocks.

The Oath has a fine album here. Their debut, it resonates with dark influences like Danzig, Faith and the Muse, Dio, Sabbath, The Runaways, Celtic Frost and classic NWOBHM. This album will appeal if you are a fan of the darker side of things. Images of hanging out in cemeteries, running into the arms of temptation and a witches night out made me love it at first listen. After that I couldn’t stop. This album is a keeper. I write to it when I need a dose of darkness to go along with my cookies. It’s like milk. You don’t just take one sip. You suck it down and go back for more.

5/5 Stars

Tracks: 
1.All Must Die
2.Silk Road
3.Night Child
4.Leaving Together
5.Black Rainbow
6.Silver and Dust
7.Death Delight
8.In Dream
9.Psalm 7

Key Tracks: Night Child, Leaving Together, Silver and Dust

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

June 2, 2014

Review Provided By Write a Music Review

Metal Review: Ronnie James Dio/Various Artists-This Is Your Life

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Label: Rhino

Website

If there ever were to be a Mount Rushmore of the best lead vocalists of heavy metal, there is a more than a strong case to put Ronnie James Dio on it. His tragic death from cancer at the age of 67 put an end to one of the heavy metal’s longest and most memorable careers. With Dio providing his famous voice for such bands as Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and, of course, his very own band, Dio his legacy remains intact. He also popularized the sign of the horns hand gesture that is so heavily associated with metal music. He has gone too soon, but his music lives on and the metal world pays tribute to his work. 

This is Your Lifeis a 14 track tribute album produced by his wife Wendy, and featuring some of Dio’s greatest hits. Such iconic songs as “Rainbow in the Dark,” “Holy Driver,” and “The Last in Line” are covered by some of the metal world’s main players and biggest names. Anthrax, Metallica, Motörhead, Biff Byford of Saxon, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Corey Taylor of Slipnot, and many more all cover a song or make an appearance.  

Opening up this tribute album is “Neon Knights” by Anthrax and they freaking nail it. This is a cover song done right and it is probably the best song on the album. It comes out with a jolt of energy that electrifies the room with everything sounding just right. This is what it sounds like when everything is spent and all of one’s heart and effort it put into something. Dare I say that this one is flawless? Next up is Tenacious D’s cover of “The Last in Line,” which is a good effort but it does not touch the original.  I generally enjoy Tenacious D, but Jack Black is no substitute for Dio. Adrenaline Mob’s cover of “The Mob Rules” is almost as good as the opener. They are tearing it up on this one. 

“Rainbow in the Dark” will probably be a love it or hate it type of cover for most fans. I do not think Corey Taylor is on the same level as Dio, but I think he does do a good job of giving this classic song a go. Halestorm’s “Straight Through the Heart” will the type of song that grows on you with each listen. Motörhead really shred on “Starstruck” backed by the vocal styling of Saxon’s Biff Byford.

Scorpions’ version of “The Temple of the King” is another highlight of the album. It is a song that is softer than the rest, with a soothing atmosphere that hits all the right spots much like “Catch the Rainbow.” Doro provides a haunting rendition of “Egypt (The Chains Are On).” Her vocal performance is the kind that leaves an impression, which is made even more memorable by the menacing music as they together to make a fantastic song. Killswitch Engage’s cover of “Holy Driver” is my least favorite song on the album, and I say that as a fan of the band. All the changes do not do anything for me and do not think that the screaming fits well. 

Oni Logan, Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson, and Brian Tichy deliver the goods on “I” with great performances all around and sound like they are enjoying themselves. “Man on the Silver Mountain” is a lackluster cover with Halford sounding like he is phoning it in. There is a good guitar solo, but I find it hard to get into this song. Metallica help to the end on a high point in the penultimate song “Ronnie Rising Medley,” a mashup of “A Light in the Black,” “Tarot Woman,” “Stargazer,” and “Kill the King” that is a lot of fun to listen to, as it is just a great show of skillful musicianship. Dio’s “This is Your Life” is the perfect way to end the album, with the master himself showing how it is done with a haunting piano backdrop. It is a poignant choice that will probably make some eyes water. 

When all is said and done, This Is Your Life is a very solid tribute album that does Dio’s legacy justice. Though I do think that a few songs will be divisive and not knock hardcore fans out of the park, most of the covers are done well and the effort that went into making them can be heard. But, hey, Ronnie James Dio is a tough act to follow, after all. I think that This Is Your Life makes for a nice addition to any metal fan’s collection. 

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Neon Knight, The Mob Rules, The Temple of the King, Egypt (The Chains Are On)

Tracks:
01. Neon Knights
02. The Last in Line
03. The Mob Rules
04. Rainbow in the Dark
05. Straight Through the Heart
06. Starstruck
07. The Temple of the King
08. Egypt (The Chains Are On)
09. Holy Driver
10. Catch the Rainbow
11. I
12. Man on the Silver Mountain
13. Ronnie Rising Medley
14. This is Your Life

Brian McKinnon

May 16, 2014

Review Provided By Write A Music Review