By Andrew Bansal
Longstanding German power metal band Running Wild have a long four-decade history, a career that has spanned 15 full-length studio albums thus far, and even though they’ve mostly stayed within Europe as a live band, they’ve garnered a large fan-following all over the world, and every piece of Running Wild news is greeted with much excitement. Following a very brief split from 2009 to ’11, the band reformed and released their 15th album ‘Resilient’ in 2013, and are now ready to unveil the follow-up, ‘Rapid Foray’, on August 26th 2016 via SPV/Steamhammer. Pirate metal as a sub-genre came into prominence only in the mid-2000s, but metalheads well-versed in its history would know that Running Wild gave birth to this style, although what they play could be more accurately described as pirate-themed power metal. In a world where some bands that were clearly influenced by them are more popular, Running Wild attempt to re-stamp their authority with their newest studio effort.
Vocalist, guitarist, composer and producer Rolf Kasparek, a.k.a. Rock ‘n’ Rolf, has earned and maintained his reputation as a skilled craftsman over the band’s 40-year career, and on the 11 tunes that decorate the hefty 63-minute slab of righteous old-school metal that constitutes ‘Rapid Foray’, Kasparek marches forth in his signature style filled to the brim with catchy riffs and solos, seemingly effortless but undeniably powerful vocal delivery, and crisp production to justifiably translate the impact of the tunes. The lively opening track ‘Black Skies, Red Flag’ is caption Rock ‘n’ Rolf’s call to arms to engage and capture the listener, as fast-paced rhythm guitar picking, sweet harmonies, well-orchestrated arrangements and fist-raising vocals set the tone for the album. Easily enjoyable offerings like ‘Warmongers’, ‘Stick To Your Guns’ and the title track keep up to this standard and present singalong chorus and verse lines, as the mainman’s lyrical wizardry is fully exhibited yet again.
‘By The Blood In Your Heart’ is a slow, riff-heavy, Judas Priest inspired tune much in the vein of ‘Metal Gods’, and is dominated by excellent guitar work, based on simple yet extremely effective riffs. The instrumental ‘The Depth Of The Sea Nautilus’ is perhaps the musical highlight of the album, letting the songwriting genius to be in the spotlight more than on any other song, and despite the absence of vocals to associate the song with, this one may become a fan-favorite in the years to come, just by the sheer memorable quality of its musicianship. Not for a single moment does this album lose its drive and momentum, as its second half is graced by the hoppy ‘Black Bart’, the mid-tempo rocker ‘Hellestrified’ and the upbeat singalongs ‘Blood Moon Rising’ and ‘Into The West’. It all comes to an end with the 11-minute composition ‘Last Of The Mohicans’, boasting proggy transitions and spoken-word segments, bringing the album to a fittingly epic close.
For fans of traditional/power metal, Running Wild’s ‘Rapid Foray’ is as strong of a release as anything the year of 2016 has seen or will see. Despite the band’s worldwide legion of devout fans, they still remain somewhat underrated, under-appreciated and unknown, but this album will undoubtedly leave first-time listeners pleasantly surprised and Running Wild will deservedly expand their outreach in the metal world. Sonically portrayed through conventional instruments without any bells and whistles, and lyrically based on thorough historical research, Running Wild is by no means a representative of the term ‘pirate metal’ or any of the implications that come with it, but rather, Running Wild’s pirate-themed metal serves up a healthy musical dosage for pirate metal lovers and haters alike. For Running Wild, ‘Rapid Foray’ is, in every sense, a victory-and-a-half.
Rating: 9/10
(If you like what you’ve read, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, and support Metal Assault and buy a shirt!)
Record Label: SPV/Steamhammer
Release Date: August 26th 2016
Duration: 63:01
Track Listing:
1. Black Skies, Red Flag (4:44)
2. Warmongers (4:29)
3. Stick To Your Guns (5:08)
4. Rapid Foray (4:47)
5. By The Blood In Your Heart (5:27)
6. The Depth Of The Sea Nautilus (instrumental) (3:53)
7. Black Bart (5:06)
8. Hellestrified (4:22)
9. Blood Moon Rising (4:20)
10. Into The West (4:34)
11. Last Of The Mohicans (11:11)
Running Wild links: website | facebook | twitter