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Band Messiah's Kiss Title Metal Type LP/EP Company SPV/Steamhammer YOR 2004 Style Power Popular Reviews  
Judging by the cover art, I thought I would be tortured and disappointed yet again. But, I put it in the trusty disc player anyway. From the word go, it was pure metal bliss; a driven sound that was both finely tuned as well as forceful, ala Priest, Maiden, and Accept/U.D.O. This marks the bands second album, first was “Prayer for the Dying”, both released under SPV/Steamhammer. With the production mastermind, Nikolo Kotzev (Nostradameus), the double bass assault of Eckhard Ostra, riffs of Georg Kraft and Alexander Hitz, a bass line to kill for from Wayne Banks, and spine tingling vocals courtesy of Mike Tirelli, they prove that they are not just another German metal act, but a force to be reckoned with in the metal world. "Execrate" is an eerie as hell intro and after hearing that, I knew was in for a treat. “Angels”, “Hell or Victory” and “Metal til We Die” are the best written and composed tracks and also, the heaviest with honorable mention to “Uncaging Rebellion”. The entire album makes the guys worthy of German metal god status in my book. Rating: Almost a perfect album. Only one filler track in my opinion, which is “Dog Idols” (an eerie closing). Production is top notch. The musicianship is a little wild, but an enjoyable metal experience. I will label this a 9/10. Should you want pure metal power that poses a loud and skull cracking array of talent, an album where each song is what it is, then treat yourself to Messiah’s Kiss. This will be on my Playlist for a long time to come. --IcedMojo 06.25.04
Say It Ain't Original We Keep Our Style Don't Give A Damn! The lyrics to "Metal 'Til We Die", taken from the new album "Metal" from Messiah's Kiss, pretty much says it all here. "Metal" is a German power metal album, not really making any leaps and bounds beyond the genre's true essence of METAL, but still entertaining the listener with 14 solid tracks of German power. With this new record, Messiah's Kiss has chosen a different producer from their debut, settling for Nilolo Kitzev in place of Herman Frank (Victory,Accept,Moon Doc). "Metal" is different in a lot of ways from the group's debut, "A Prayer For The Dying" from 2002. For starters, Kitzev's production job is very gritty, taking the band in a more rigid approach, as opposed to Frank's knob-turning on the band's debut, one that was extremely polished and clean, a record that reminded me of early Accept, a tight-knit Judas Priest, and at times shades of vintage hard rock ala Victory and Scorpions. With "Metal", the guitars and drums are set rather low in the mix, with bumble-bee bass lines and Mike Tirelli's vocals standing at the forefront, changing Messiah's Kiss from clean shave to stubble, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, its just a different approach to the album and one that I really wasn't expecting. The group has enlisted a new bass player as well, replacing Andreas Boschak with Wayne Banks, which could explain the change in bass sound, as Banks reminds me of Geezer Butler crossed with D.D. Verni at times, which is probably why Kitzev decided to put the rich bass lines in the center of the sound. The rest of the lot stays intact, with American power-shouter and current Holy Mother frontman Mike Tirelli once again taking command of his ship, basically taking the same vocal stance that he had on the debut record, but this time choosing to stay in mid-temp range. Tirelli rarely goes into the higher notes on this album, basically allowing his emotion to keep him mid-drift, reminding me of Ronnie James Dio or Tony Martin on this effort. "Metal" has everything a good power metal album should have, from fantasy styled lyrics of war-torn wastelands, to the more simplistic anthems that echo metal freedom. A lot of this album reminds me of more traditional anthem-inspired bands like Manowar, Majesty, and even Unrest. I see songs like "Metal 'Til We Die" and "Believer" as perfect examples of this "new" Messiah's Kiss approach, one that still embodies the metal flavor of their debut, but this time throwing in some different ingredients. "Fight Or Fall" reminds me of US metal, perhaps allowing room for Riot and Armored Saint with its shout-it-out-loud chorus and the "running rampant" gallop that seems to fill the song out. "Hell Or Victory" is a fantasy themed track, with Tirelli and company hooking up for a terrific melody, reminding me of Jeff Scott Soto's wonderful combinations with Axel Rudi Pell in the 90s. "Holy Waters" echoes that same vibe as well, wth its German accent on epic fantasy. Album opener "Uncaging Rebellion" is similar to the band's debut material, with a huge chant secton via the chorus part. At times this album just smokes, with solid tracks like "Hell Or Victory", "Holy Waters", "Metal 'Til We Die", "Fight Or Fall", and the war-like "Blackhawk". Some other tracks are somewhat paint-by-numbers, but nevertheless extremely entertaining to these ears. They say sequels are never as good as the first, but I'm not entirely sure that is the case here. This sophomore album just simply chooses to go another route, one that has the same destination as the first, that being a place that will please the dedicated metal fans. This is an album of sincere true metal greatness that embarks on a slighty different journey from this point on. It will be interesting to see where Messiah's Kiss takes things from here. One thing is for sure, Messiah's Kiss will always play "Metal". --EC 06.04.04 ALL REVIEWS FOR: MESSIAH'S KISS
ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: MESSIAH'S KISS
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