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On disc: Raise Hell



- Wicked Is My Game - Rod Capozzi - 8 stars
- Wicked Is My Game - Claudia Ehrhardt - 8 stars


www.raise-hell.net







Wicked Is My Game

Wicked Is My Game
(Nuclear Blast - 2002)


The 3rd album of this Swedish melodic death metal band. Actually, it can be even considered as a melodic thrash metal band. This is by far the most mature album of Raise Hell, showing a great development since Not Dead Yet and the only factor that still can be compared to death metal bands are the vocal lines, very similar of old Carcass and new melodic Children Of Bodom. The band is composed by the youngsters Jonas Nilson (vocals & guitars), Torstein Wickberg (guitars), a high skilled guitarist, Niklas Sjöström (bass) and the great drummer Dennis Ekdahl.
Wicked Is My Game, their 3rd album, was recorded at Flat Planet Studio which is part of Studio Fredman and it's produced by In Flames singer Anders Fridén and Frederik Reinedahl.
Hellborn is the opening act of Wicked Is My Game, with a big instrumental intro, it shows the skills of all its members. Nightwatcher has a great guitar duo and it's fast and very obscure with the tempo changing it's a very technical track.
The Haunted House it's a sure way to keep the necks breaking. It's a really haunting song and one of the best of the album. Some riffs are typical NWoBHM what gives it a nostalgic and yet modern feeling. The title song is very melodic and has wonderful guitar riff. It has some bombastic passages, with a great heaviness.
In My Cell comes straight. It's punch in the face. A direct reference from the 80's classics and shows how to make heavy music. Another Side is slower and starts with a great acoustic guitar. You can see a touch of Black Sabbath on the main riff. Death Race is a banging classic is makes you bang all around. Devil May Care is another song with a heavy punch and a 80's feeling. Destiny Deceiver is the final track of the album. It has one of the best thrash metal riffs in the last 10 years! The fastest song of the album and the best one. With a great drum work and perfect guitars. This one will bring you all the best memories of old Kreator.
If you are into death and thrash, this album is what we haven't seen in the last years! Raw yet technique, heavy and aggressive. Get it and bang 'till your neck is broken.


8 stars

Rod Capozzi
 

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Wicked Is My Game

Wicked Is My Game
(Nuclear Blast - 2002)


What can we expect from the Swedish quartet this time? The band of singer and guitarist Jonas Nilson present on their 3rd album a kind of melodic death thrash metal. Musically they might be even interested for power metal fans, if they are open-minded and if they like a touch of thrash! The band kicks off the album with Hellborn. The opener starts with a longer instrumental part before Jonas Nilson starts to join in vocally. On this track his vocals are somewhere between old Kreator and some new melodic death metal, even if they partly remind me of Dani of Cradle Of Filth on other tracks.... Very interesting is also the guitar part in the middle of the song. The track The Haunted House is grooving, even if really heavy and with mean vocals. Longer instrumental parts live from the simple groove, but aren't that simple... Here singer / guitarist Jonas Nilson and his counterpart Torstein Wickberg show their skills. Technically this band is far better than many other band which probably are more known. But they know to keep the songs interesting. There are heavy ones like In My Cell which really rocks! But you might be surprised about the opening of Another Side which starts slowly with just guitar before the band joins in and the track becomes a heavy rocker in the tradition of Back Sabbath, but sound up-to-date. Only the extreme vocals don't fit 100% in my opinion... The song Death Race is a little bit in the tradition of 80's US thrash metal bands. Nice track. At all this album has a large variety, not one song sounds like the other.
The band recorded this album at Flat Planet Studio which is part of the famous Studio Fredman. Produced is Wicked Is My Game by In Flames singer Anders Fridén and Frederik Reinedahl who gave the album a heavy and powerful sound.
At least I can say that it was a good decision to spend time on songwriting and production, coz this album is more mature and shows that this band has the potential to enter the premier league soon! But listen to this album a few times, coz it needs a few spins to grow!


8 stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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           ©2008-2010 by Claudia Ehrhardt • E-Mail: contact@ice-vajal.com


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