By Andrew Bansal
The old-school metal ways of the ‘70s and ‘80s have made quite the resurgence in recent years, and one would be in complete denial to say it isn’t so. The internet and the easy access to music has led to the current generation of teens and twenty-somethings discovering bands from several decades ago, and in turn seeking modern-day bands that pursue similar musical styles. The fan-following for traditional heavy metal, a la Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon, Satan, Angel Witch and Witchfinder General, is truly global, with kids everywhere from the far East to the far West spinning records, wearing denim battle vests and banging their heads to the music of traditional metal stalwarts old and new. The impact of these bands has certainly been felt in the U.S. as well, thanks also in part to America’s own old-school metal legacy comprising the likes of Riot, Armored Saint, Manilla Road and Iced Earth, and this not only applies to the big cities but to every corner of this vast country. One wouldn’t associate Louisville, Kentucky with old-school metal, but then came Savage Master to put this town on the metal map. The quintet released their debut full-length album ‘Mask Of The Devil’ in 2014, gained quite the cult following mainly because of their live performances and visual stage antics, and have now unleashed their second LP ‘With Whips And Chains’, which comes as a highly anticipated release in the traditional metal circles.
Savage Master is a band that musically very much sticks to their old-school metal inspirations and influences, and upon hearing their music one would feel like it’s been done before and is nothing new, but that’s the whole point and purpose of the band, to glorify that bygone era and to wave that flag with their own music. The debut LP established this characterstic, and ‘With Whips And Chains’ only strengthens it.
The album starts off with the ominous intro piece ‘Call Of The Master’, and gets into gear with ‘’Dark Light Of The Moon’, a lively tune that presents some catchy, galloping riffs and solos, frontwoman Stacey Peak’s uniquely raw singing style capturing the listener’s attention more than anything else. Following in the footsteps of their idols, Savage Master keep it short with this 10-track, 35-minute full-length effort. The title track as well as tunes like ‘Path Of The Necromancer’ get the album settled into its zone where it stays until the very end. The entirety of the record is decorated with catchiness galore, to the extent that the selection of the best, standout or favorite tune on here would vary widely from one listener to the next. ‘Vengeance Is Steel’ undoubtedly boasts of instantly enjoyable riffs and lyrics, as does the Judas Priest-like rocker ’Looking For A Sacrifice’.
The album certainly turns it up a notch in its latter half, ‘Satan’s Crown’ presenting memorable guitar work and tasty drum fills, while ‘Burned At The Stake’ and ‘Black Hooves’ maintain the mid-tempo old-school vibe to the fullest. But, Savage Master save the best for last, as the fastest, most upbeat song of the album is the closing track ’Ready To Sin’, exuding a punk-infused rock ’n roll feel, complete with Stacey Peak screaming out the number of the beast in the chorus.
In terms of the vocal stylings, parallels can be drawn with the likes of Gregg Higgins (Venomous Maximus), and it’s clear that Stacey Peak’s singing ability is born purely out of inspiration from her idols and in all likelihood she was a metalhead first and a singer after, not the other way round. Her performance on these recordings has shown improvement from the first album, and will only get better on future albums. But more importantly, it’s fair to say that her style is the right fit for this band, as she succeeds in delivering these satanic, ritualistic, evil, sinister, lustful lyrics in the right manner. Her band mates also do a fine job in performing their respective roles, and overall, ‘With Whips And Chains’ is a record that’s as enjoyable for its lyrics as it is for the music itself.
On the flip side, the production and playing style may come across as too raw for some people’s tastes, and the mid-tempo sameness that dominates the meat of the record might be off-putting to some. With a song like ‘Ready To Sin’, Savage Master showcase the potential to cross over beyond the traditional metal realm, and more songs of that nature could perhaps be food for thought for future albums. This newest effort of theirs is more of a grower than an instant classic, but one thing is for sure, getting to see four hooded men fronted by a scantilly clad dominatrix-style female perform live on a stage first without having heard any of their music beforehand makes their albums that much more likeable.
Savage Master’s ‘With Whips And Chains’ is one for the old-school diehards, by old-school diehards.
Rating: 7.5/10
Release Date: May 13th 2016
Record Label: High Roller/Skol
Track Listing:
01. Call Of The Master
02. Dark Light Of The Moon
03. With Whips And Chains
04. Path Of The Necromancer
05. Vengeance Is Steel
06. Looking For A Sacrifice
07. Satan’s Crown
08. Burned At The Stake
09. Black Hooves
10. Ready To Sin
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