Orchid: The Mouths Of Madness

   San Francisco's Orchid released "The Mouths Of Madness" earlier this year. Garnering pretty rave reviews, the band has more than a passing similarity to metal masters Black Sabbath, and much of the press focusing on this band has drawn comparisons between the two bands. Are Orchid the rightful heirs to the Sabbath throne, find out below.. 

   The title track "The Mouths of Madness" reminds instantly of Black Sabbath classic "Killing Yourself to Live". Singer/keyboardist Theo Mindell echoes Ozzy, without feeling totally like a tribute band. The heavy psychedelic feel of the song is certainly unsettling. The drumming of Carter Kennedy is solid on the tune, but a tad too bombastic at times. Lead guitar by Mark Thomas Baker obviously reminds of Tony Iommi, especially his trademark 70s palette of sounds. A good opener. "Marching Dogs of War" is the band's answer to "War Pigs" and "Children of the Grave". I like the almost lo-fi feel of the song, and the album truly sounds like it could have been recorded in a dreary English recording studio in the early 1970s. Bass player Keith Nickel has Geezer Butler down pat, and plays in a very similar manner with wondrously "busy" bass-lines. Even the harmonica comes in before the solo, Orchid have really gone all out to replicate the sounds of vintage Sabbath. As a huge Sabbath fan, I love this rocking and heavy anti-military number. But, I can understand why some criticize the band as mere imitators, I mean this song and album border on plagiarism. However, the band gets closer to the Sabbath sound and feel than any other band I've heard so far.

   "Silent One" opens with a massive riff that reminded me of "Into the Void" by Sabbath. Telling of the coming of Satan, I like how the band does vary in its subject matter. Like Sabbath before them, the band is certainly very focused on the occult and things that go bump in the night. A killer solo in the middle of the song is the highlight, as is the pretty good rhythm section of Nickel and Kennedy. You could easily mistake the instrumental section of the song for a Sabbath studio out-take, and that is not something I say lightly about bands, these guys are fuc&$$ serious about replicating that heavy, thick, and dank Sabbath sound.  "Nomad" is the album's answer the mighty and untouchable "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" with a touch of "Snowblind". It is at this point I realize that all of the bands that have sought to imitate Sabbath over the years really have nothing on these guys, this is the real deal, at least in terms of coming so close to Sabbath that I got goosebumps. The song slows half-way through, and is gorgeous and introspective, before speeding up to break-neck speed again. Orchid take you on a roller-coaster of musicality, with tempos and lyrically motifs ranging from spectacular highs to crushing lows, much like Sabbath did before them. A great song, even if it is a pastiche of more than a couple Sabbath classics.

  "Mountains of Steel" is the album's answer to my favorite Sabbath song of all time, the incredibly underrated "A National Acrobat". While not in the same league as "Acrobat", the song is pretty darn cool. The rubbery bass-lines, jazzy kit-bashing, and Iommian leads combine with Mindell's hypnotic voice and mystical lyrics to create a great homage. My pick for the best song on the album, a fantastic tribute that even features a jazzy interlude, that sounds directly from "Sabotage". "Leaving It All Behind" closely mirrors "After Forever" from Black Sabbath masterpiece "Master Of Reality", before warping into a song that sounds very close to Sabotage-era Sabbath. The song is insanely positive from a lyrical perspective, and the flowery lyrics reminded me of "Sabbra Cadabra" from "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". The song is a bit slow at points and corny, and I found it to be the least exciting song on the album.

   "Loving Hand  of God" opens with some murky bass from Nickel, before some bluesy guitars come in. The most American-sounding song on the album, think a heavier version of The Black Keys, White Stripes, or even Rival Sons. A tale of vagrancy, a strict upbringing, and general misery, the song warps into a fast and dizzy Sabbath jam resembling both "The Wizard" and "Hand of Doom". Not a bad song at all, and it shows off the band's musical chops. "Wizard of War" reminds of "War Pigs" and "Paranoid", an almost punk-like song that is very fast. The song concerns a demonic overlord presiding over death and destruction. Not a bad song, but very unoriginal, even for this band. "See You On the Other Side" again sound very much like something off "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". About death and confronting mortality, the song is pretty heavy, both musically and lyrically. A fairly long song, it features a quiet and contemplative acoustic section, that is very much like "Spiral Architect", also from "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", as well as hints of that album's title track. Like a cold shower, Orchid lets loose for the end of the album with an all-out assault of classic metal and speeds up the song.

   "The Mouths Of Madness" certainly lacks any form of originality. The album plays like a Black Sabbath playbook, and you will spend a great deal of your time with the album trying to figure out what Sabbath song each section of each song on this album sounds similar to. However, the band is phenomenally talented at paying tribute to Sabbath, and each song comes very close to the vibe and feel of that band. If you like Sabbath, you could do a lot worse than listen to this band. If you praise music for originality, Orchid may not be for you.

Rating-7.5/10

   

Ghost: If You Have Ghost EP

  Released this year, Swedish fiends Ghost released an EP of covers produced by Foo Fighters main-man Dave Grohl. The covers that the band choose might surprise you, as I certainly did not expect such a non-rock/metal set of tunes. However, Ghost are full of surprises, and you might find something to like here.

   First up is a Roky Erickson cover. "If You Have Ghosts" is a great cover of the 1981 original.A wonderful rendition of the song, it is the highlight of the EP. Ghost make the song less folk and more modern rock by adding brighter guitars, bigger drums and production, and an overall poppier sound. I really like what Ghost has done to the track, and it is nice to hear them move away from the dark and ominous lyrics that their own work contains, even though the songs' lyrics could certainly be interpreted as dark. Even stranger than a Roky Erickson cover is the cover of fellow Swedes ABBA's 1977 single "I'm a Marionette". Taking the song in a heavier and more metal direction, it's a strange choice for a cover that somehow works. Ghost's creepy organ dominates the track, as does the thick guitar sludge that plods through the track. Somehow, they pull it off.

    Keeping with the Swedish theme, Ghost takes on their countrymen and women with a cover of the 1991 hit "Crucified" from the little-known outside Europe dance group "Army of Lovers". The original was certainly a little creepy and sleazy, but Ghost takes the track and warps it from a dance song into a macabre trip through a graveyard, a la King Diamond. The chorus retains the pop element of the song, but albeit much more spooky. I again like their take on the decent original, an interesting metamorphosis. The last cover is a cover of Depeche Mode's 1990 song "Waiting for the Night".  Their version swaps the synthesizers and gentle beats for heavy guitars and swirling organs. Singer Papa Emeritus II takes the vocals in a more operatic direction. Still slow and sleepy, I prefer the original and think it was dark enough, but not bad at all.
A live version of recent single "Secular Haze" is included as a fifth track. A decent rendition, but not one of my favorite songs.

   "If You Have Ghost" is an interesting EP. Fans of the band will certainly like the covers, and despite most of the artists being quite pop in nature, the band definitely add their own warped vision to the music. Pick it up, if only for the superb cover of "If You Have Ghosts".

Rating-7.5/10

  

Judas Priest: Sad Wings of Destiny

   Released in 1976, Sad Wings of Destiny was Judas Priest's second album. Much heavier than their debut, most consider the album the true start of the metal gods. Easily one of the best studio albums by Priest, let's take a look at what makes the album so remarkable.

  "Victim of Changes" opens in spectacular fashion. One of the most recognizable riffs in metal history, the song is a masterpiece. Singer Rob Halford sounds amazing on the track, and many would consider the song one of his best vocal performances. K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton unleash the heaviest guitar work this side of Black Sabbath circa 1976. I love when the song slows down near the end, and the hazy Scorpions-like section is frosty but beautiful. Halford closes the song with some uncanny banshee-like screams, an incredible range. A Priest staple, and easily the best song on the album. "The Ripper" is another Priest classic. About the infamous "Jack the Ripper", the song is a dark and dank journey through the back-alleys of olde London. The riffs are very intricate and groove-based, and the sound of metal would forever be changed by the seemingly endless riff factory that was Tipton and Downing. Short, but a great song.

    "Dreamer Deceiver" shows off the importance of acoustics on the album. It opens with a bone-chilling introduction. Halford sounds gorgeous and hazy, while the gentle acoustics set the slow pace alongside the half-awake drumming of Alan Moore, who would leave the band after this album. The song's psychedelic and introspective lyrics build, until finally Halford unleashes some amazingly high notes. Besides maybe "Painkiller", I would be hard-pressed to find Halford performing better from a vocal standpoint. Some blazing solos play over the acoustics and solid rhythm section, and the lead guitar work on the album is nearly flawless. A great song that is occasionally played live even today. The albums rolls directly in "Deceiver", which is sonically connected to the previous track. Much faster and heavier, I love the rawness of the production, sparse but epic-sounding. The album really shows off the raw talent of the band, who have little need for effects or layers of distortion. Again very short, but a nice rollicking joint that sounds not that far off from the sound the band would take on the next few albums, much faster.

  
   Side 2 opens with the short instrumental "Prelude". Piano and strings play a Wagnerian-esque orchestral piece. Very ominous, it sets the tone for the second half of the album and is one of the earlier examples of strings on a metal album. "Tyrant" is one of band's more underrated and unknown songs. The main riff is absolutely stellar, one of their most memorable in my opinion. Despite having too much echo, Halford's vocals deliver as well, and I love the lyrics concerning authoritarian despotism. A stand-out track. "Genocide" is another deep-album track from Priest. The more bluesy riff is not as heavy and dark as many other songs on the album, despite the very dark lyrics about massive swaths of death and destruction. I like the creepy spoken word narration section that happens before Halford comes back in full force, and the groove gets even tighter, dare I say disco-like. An interesting song for sure that closes with Halford almost rapping, via a lack of a better word.

    "Epitaph" is an odd song and not nearly as heavy as it sounds. A soft and jazzy tune. I like the Queen-like harmonies and deep lyrics that concern mortality, but it is very different from anything you have heard from Priest. Still, an interesting song. The album closes with "Island of Domination". Classic Priest, a rollicking rhythm section drives along Halford's soaring operatic lyrics combined with some fierce riffing from the Priest boys. Despite some fairly nonsensical lyrics, I like the song in many ways. But not a standout track, it lacks the lyrical depth and emotional impact of many Priest songs.

   "Sad Wings of Destiny" is the first true Priest album. Much heaver than their debut, it shows the band embracing and moving more towards the heavy metal sound that would propel them to international success.

Rating-9/10

Down-Down Part IV Part One: The Purple EP

   New Orleans-based metal super-group Down returned for their first EP in 2012. Widely regarded as one of last year's best albums (well, half of one), fans are eagerly awaiting part 2. I really enjoyed Down IV, so let's jump in and take a look.

   "Levitation" kicks off the album with a blast of sludgy and doomy metal. The first thing you will notice about the album is stylistic shift of the band on the album. Moving away from the more modern and slick earlier albums, Down IV is very raw and grimy. Singer Phil Anselmo delivers a great performance as usual, sounding very gruff and ragged here, matching the roughness of the guitars. New bassist Patrick Bruders adds some more finesse to the bass playing, not to knock former bassist Rex Brown. Guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein sound great as usual on the track, and the departure of Windstein after the completion of this EP was a sad loss for the band. In any case, a great opening track with some mystical and occult-like lyrics. Lead single "Witchtripper" is what initially attracted me to the EP. Think of Queens of the Stone Age meets Slayer and you get the sound of track. Incredibly heavy and doomy, it is my pick for the best song that the band has ever done. Anselmo's low pitched vocal interjections add a great element of paranoia and uneasiness to the track. Drummer Jimmy Bower pounds away in spectacular fashion, and is a great drummer.  The song's creepy lyrics seem to concern dark magic and witchcraft, and suite the deep, growling music very well.

   Down IV continues on with "Open Coffins". Very confrontational and hostile, the song is most traditional Down song on the album. Sonically, the song is less sludge and more Pantera-like than any other track. A decent song, but much more modern rock than the very doomy and creepy first two tracks. "The Curse Is A Lie" is a slow-burner of a tune, very hypnotic and trippy. The cryptic lyrics made no sense to me, but certainly sounded cool atop the deep and downtuned sludge-metal riffs and rock-solid drumming. Black Sabbath were obviously a big influence on the direction of this album, and their influence can clearly be heard on the direction of this track. A pretty good song, I love the heaviness and rawness of the EP.

     "This Work Is Timeless" is a thundering steam-roller of metal magic. Very groove-based, Anselmo works great when he has a huge guitar groove-riff to work with, and the song is again in the vein of Pantera. However, the track contains elements of progressive metal, with quite a few complicated musical changes and drumming patterns. I love the end of the song, and the twin leads sound hauntingly beautiful. Anselmo's effect-covered vocals repeat over and over at the end, increasing the tension before coming back for one more round of riffs and vocal flexing. A complicated song, but quite good. Down IV closes with the doomsday-sounding "The Misfortune Teller". Again, the lyrics are pretty cryptic and apocalyptic, par for the course for Anselmo, who has penned some pretty complex lyrics in his day. The riff is again quite heavy, plodding and Iommi-like in heaviness. Massive.

   "Down IV" is very heavy, raw, and pissed off. There is no "Stone The Crow" on this album. Instead, we get six very deep and dark songs about witches, the end of the world, and of course, death. I personally like the new direction, but the depth of its darkness and heaviness may be a  bit much for some. I look forward to the next EP.

Rating-8/10

KISS:Psycho Circus

   Released in 1998 amidst the massive financial success of their 1996 reunion, the album has been seen by some fans as a massive disappointment and a wasted creative opportunity. I don't necessarily agree with that sentiment, so let me tell you why....

   The album opens with hit single "Psycho Circus". Despite the fairly lame title, the song is one of the stronger on the album. Great vocals from Paul Stanley, solid playing from the band (or maybe not, we don't necessarily know who played what), and some solid production. Whoever played on it, it's a KISS classic and there is a reason it's still played at most live shows even today. "Within" is a pretty good Gene Simmons song. I love the backwards solo played at the beginning. Despite not officially being a member of the band, KISS stalwart Bruce Kulick was supposedly responsible for much of the guitar work, and it certainly sounds like him. Peter Criss is certainly not likely the drummer on the track, but stand-in Kevin Valentine does a great job, perhaps even better than Criss would have. An ominous and heavy tune that would have fit nicely on the underrated "Carnival of Souls" album. I dig it, despite not being very KISS-like at all.

  "I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll" is my pick for the best song on the album. Paul Stanley delivers one of his best anthems in years. Very catchy, well-produced, and very KISS-like. While the lyrics may be a little vapid, it's a fun song and KISS should certainly be fun music. One of the highlights of the track in the bass playing, which sounds like Simmons to me, but who knows. "Into the Void" is the sole Ace Frehley song on the album, but what a song it is. My pick for second best track on the album, it contains that classic laid-back, hazy sound that Ace created with "Rocket Ride" and of course "Shock Me". Frehley sound great on the track, despite having his vocals a little low in the mix. A highlight for sure.

   "We Are One" is one of the poppiest songs on the album. The Simmons tune has a pretty catchy chorus and is certainly not bad. However, it's too much of a left turn for the band for me. I find the track to be pretty boring and dull. ZzzzZz. "You Wanted the Best" fares a bit better. It features all original members of the band trading off lead vocals. While the lyrics are a bit tacky and forced, it's cool for a fan to hear all the members on the track. According to my sources, the guitars on the track are done by Ace, unlike the majority of the songs. Whoever delivers it, the solo is quite good. A pretty decent song.

   "Raise Your Glasses" sounds like Paul's answer to "We Are One". Very Beatles-esque, Paul takes a stab at another memorable rock anthem with varying results. While I like the huge and catchy chorus, the whole thing feels a bit soulless and far too polished. An average track at best. "I Finally Found My Way" is the album's answer to classic "Beth". Totally out of touch with what KISS represents, the song is a sappy and dull Rod Stewart-like ballad. I really can't get into the song and producer Bob Ezrin's version of the
"wall of sound".

   "Dreamin" is another Stanley song. Like many of Gene's songs on the album, it wouldn't have sounded out of place on "Carnival of Souls". Very fuzzy and distorted thank to Bruce Kulick's playing, I like the song, but very modern and out of character from what the fans might have expected from the KISS reunion album. "Journey Of 1,000 Years" is another trippy Gene song. Brooding strings play over acoustics and jazzy drumming while Simmons sings a vocal that reminds of course of the Fab Four. An ambitious song, and certainly not bad, but a tad bloated sonically speaking.

   "Psycho Circus" is not really a KISS reunion album in the strictest meaning of the word. Most of the tracks don't feature Ace and Peter, and many tracks don't bear any similarity to their classic 1970's sound. However, there are a few decent tracks on the album that warrant a listen. Fans of the band should definitely give the album a spin, but prepared to be slightly disappointed of you are expecting a return to form.

Rating-7/10
  

Mercyful Fate-In The Shadows

    After releasing two stellar albums during the early 1980s, Danes Mercyful Fate broke up and left the metal world with a cavernous hole. Easily one of the best metal acts of the era, many were taken by surprise when the band reunited in the early 1990s and produced more than a few albums during the decade. Let's delve a little deeper into the band, beyond their classic albums "Melissa" and "Don't Break the Oath".

   "Egypt" opens the album in spectacular fashion. The all-out metal assault is about as heavy as you could hope for. Guitars from Michael Denner and Tom Shermann are as spectacular as always, very raw and crunchy. Vocalist King Diamond tones down the falsetto a little from his solo days, and sounds in fine form. The song's lyrics and the indeed the album as a whole are a step away from the satanic lyrics of the band's early albums. "Egypt" appropriately seems to be about Egyptian gods and mythology, an interesting topic. A decent track, but nothing to rival their earlier material. "The Bell Witch" opens with a great riff, a sludgy, progressive groove. Bass from Timi Hansen sound great, one of the highlights of the band's sound. After about a minute, the song gallops into a thundering blast of metal. Lyrically, the song covers much of the territory that King Diamond covered during his solo career. About a witch haunting a family in the American South, the song could easily be mistaken for a King Diamond solo track, sans the keyboards so present on his albums. I really like the solos, and Mercyful Fate have certainly produced some great guitar work. A solid track.

   "The Old Oak" seems to be a story about a haunted tree and burial ground. I like the occult and creepy lyrics, but the song just lacks the spark and depth of earlier albums. The drumming is solid, but sounds a bit wooden in terms of the recording, not very crisp. Some great solos are on the track, but I found it to be a tad dull. "Shadows" opens with another chugging, muddy riff. The operatic vocals are gorgeous, as are the gothic-like leads and soft classical guitar. Classical MF, the song is a highlight and a great sign of the classic sound of the band. Great stuff.

   "A Gruesome Time" seems to be a tale of endless torment by a supernatural being for terrible deeds done. The song is one of the more unsettling on the album, very dark. Musically, the song is classical Mercyful Fate: classical-influenced leads, heavy riffs, and powerful drumming along the master of horror's (Diamond) devilish lyrics and trademark screams. A pretty good song, if not somewhat exceptional. "Thirteen Invitations" brings back the satanic lyrics of past albums. More a cautionary tale about satan, it concerns a group of individuals who attend an event hosted by the devil, in which he promised eternal life. A great story, King Diamond certainly has a knack for telling a great tale. The short solo is fantastic, one of the most epic by the band. A classic, I really enjoyed the song.

    The album continues along with the instrumental "Room of Golden Air". I like the classical guitars on the track, as well as the nocturnal organ. As always, the album features killer leads, very technical and classical based. A good interlude into the next song. "Legend of the Headless Rider" features dueling riffs, each playing from separate speakers, akin to what Twisted Sister did on "Stay Hungry". The song title exactly describes what the song is about, a demonic headless horseman roaming around the countryside.  Another song that could have easily fit on King Diamond solo album, it sound less like Mercyful Fate and more like his solo material. But I certainly not complaining, as King Diamond produced some of the greatest metal albums of all time. I like the speed metal section near the end of the song, and it's great to see the band playing fast again, as parts of the album can be a bit slow. The album closes with "Is That You, Melissa?". It seems to be connected to the story told on the band's debut album, "Melissa". After a haunting harpsichord introduction, a massive riff blasts in telling of Melissa's death and how she haunts King Diamond on a daily basis. A beautiful song at first, it soon turns to a chugging and grim tale of haunted despair. An epic song, and a great close to the album. "Return of the Vampire" is included on the album as a bonus track. This rerecorded version features fellow Dane Lars Ulrich on drums. Not bad, but I prefer the rawness of the original, which can be found on various compilations.

   "In The Shadows" is a pretty good album. Although it often feels like a King Diamond solo album, there are plenty of moments when the classic sound of the band comes out. Fans of the band's earlier albums could do worse than giving later albums a spin, and this album is no exception.

Rating-8/10
  

Pantera-Metal Magic

   Strictly for the hardcore, few casual metal-heads delve into Pantera's 1980's material. Mostly self-released on a limited budget, the albums are generally seen as inferior to the obviously classic albums that the band released during the 1990s. Now an insanely expensive collector's item, the album has grown with the band's massive stature as one of the biggest metal bands of all time. Is it worth your time? Let's take a look.

   The sadly departed Dimebag Darrell certainly loved Ace Frehley, and opening track "Ride My Rocket" certainly reveals that love. The song bears more than a passing similarity to Detroit Rock City, and even Frehley's KISS classic "Rocket Ride". Despite this, it's a pretty good song for a bunch of teenagers. Dime reveals his virtuosity coming to fruition here, already playing far beyond his years. The vocal stylings of Terry Glaze sound more like Rob Halford than any member of KISS, and get the job done. However, I can see why Glaze would leave the band, and be replaced by the much more aggressive Phil Anselmo. "I'll Be Alright" reminds me of Paul Di'Anno-era Iron Maiden. This is certainly not a bad thing, and I happen to love the Di-Anno years. The song is basically speed metal. Very raw and fast, Vinnie Paul already sounds great and is certainly no slouch himself, and incredibly talented group of young men.

   "Tell Me If You Want It" is a little more dated. A power ballad of sorts, it sound pretty out of character for the band. Apparently this is direction that Glaze would want to take the band during the mid-1980s. I can see why the other members of the band disagreed, pretty bad schlock. The whispering vocals are very amateur, even given the band's age and the budget of the recording. The drums sound like cardboard as well. Cheesy synths are all over the song as well. The only highlight is Dime's fantastic leads, and any chance to hear the man play is worth a listen. "Latest Lover" is horrible, really really bad. A generic rock song, it barely even qualifies as metal, sounding more new wave than anything. Still better than anything I wrote as a teen, it nonetheless sounds like The Cars and Judas Priest playing together. Yes, as bad as it sounds. Dime supplies a few tasty leads, but the song is devoid of almost any value other than as a very strange artifact from the band's past.

   "Biggest Part Of Me" is a ballad in the most 80s of ways. Big synthesizer strings accompany Glaze's vocals amid Paul's massively heavy drums. The song sounds like Journey on steroids, which is not necessarily a good thing. Pretty good drumming and an excellent solo slightly save the song, but it is nothing spectacular and I am glad than Pantera would later abandon all vestiges of this sound. The title track "Metal Magic" must certainly be heavy, right? After a few synth washes and helicopter sound, Dime treats us to a pretty crunchy and heavy riff. Very thrash metal, the song is pretty fast and heavy. However, the song is terribly recorded, even worse than the other songs on the album. The vocals have far too much echo on them, and it becomes very distracting. A terrible organ solo occurs in the middle of the song. But alas, Dime unleashes a killer solo near the end of the song. The only highlight of this turd, it is almost worth a listen.

   "Widow Maker" is the best track on the album. Despite the quality of the recording, the Judas Priest-like tune stomps its way into your brain. The song shows the early signs of the "groove metal" sound that the band would become synonymous with later in the 1990s. Great leads, solid drumming and bass, and some pretty decent singing from Glaze show the early seeds of greatness from the band. "Nothin' On (But the Radio)" is another fairly generic 80's hair/glam-sounding tune, I would go even so far to say Eddie Money-esque. Not really any worse than a lot of 80s crap, but certainly not what one would expect from Pantera, and far below the standard set by some of the better songs on the album.

   "Sad Lover" is a little heavier. Van Halen were likely an influence on the track, as you can hear the influence of Eddie Van Halen in Dime's playing, as well as the rhythm section. Great playing from Dime, but not a great track, fairly average. "Rock Out" closes out the album.  The song starts as a fairly generic sounding hair/glam tune, but gets much faster will some insane solos from Dime, including some of his first "dive-bombs" on record. A great guitar showcase, but not a great song. The lyrics are especially basic.

   "Metal Magic" has some cool moments. Fans of the band should definitely listen to the album to hear the band's evolution. However, I would not recommend the album as an essential listen for those only casually interested in Pantera. Terrible recording quality, numerous 80s ballads, and even some hair/glam tracks are a far cry from the song unleashed on "Cowboys From Hell" and "Vulgar Display of Power". The level of playing from Vinnie and Dime and to a certain extent Rex Brown is quite good, but Terry Glaze lacked the star power of Anselmo, that powder keg combination of his time with the band. Good for a bunch of teens, but far below what you would expect from Pantera later in their career.

Rating-5/10