Heavy Metal Bulldozer

I suppose I'm a fan of Metalucifer. I suppose I'd seek out the Taoist monk Qiu Chuji for his legendary potion of immortality so I could listen to Heavy Metal Bulldozer for the rest of eternity. So, as an impartial reviewer, I'm at an impasse. Fanboys are as likely to give an honest, fair assessment of a person's flaws as Al Capone's accountant. Should I risk my integrity as a critic by not pointing out the flaws, or risk my integrity as a fan by admitting this album isn't perfect? Talk about a catch 22. It's a good thing Heavy Metal Bulldozer is perfect.

Fatuousness aside, Metalucifer's much-anticipated third album has a lot going for it. From a pragmatic perspective, there's an engaging and balanced flow from track to track. The opener, for instance, is a mellow, self-effacing hard rock anthem to get you limbered up for the high-speed assault that follows. This also showcases another one of Metalucifer's strongest suits: obscenely catchy twin-axe leads. These are sprinkled elsewhere throughout the album like Easter eggs with pornography painted on them, appearing in places simultaneously logical and unexpected.

The unassuming bridge in 'Heavy Metal Ambition' is a good example of this, leading up to a very Screaming for Vengeance-style solo. It's delicious, as is the opening harmonic passage of 'Heavy Metal Wings of Steel'. I feel no need to belabor this point any further. More of a mixed bag is frontman Gezolucifer, who sounds like the villain in every anime ever. Singing mostly in his native tongue, employing a gristly baritone and pantomime inflection, Gezolucifer has no shortage of energy and charisma. But as other, more impartial reviewers have pointed out, Gezo's style is much like the band as a whole - you'll either get it or you won't.

But you're not likely to 'get' the drums, unless your name happens to be Lars. I would liken rhythms to Grim Reaper's See You in Hell. This is a polite alternative to the word 'janky'. The mistimed shuffles and breaks can get distractingly bad in the mid-paced 'Heavy Metalucifer' and 'Heavy Metal Highway Rider'. But on the bright side, this difficulty keeping time contributes to the raw, old-school sound Metalucifer has seamlessly captured. Remember that time I admitted to being a fanboy?

For that reason, I can't stay mad at Metalucifer or indeed their spectacular third album Heavy Metal Bulldozer. It is, in essence, a fusion of Grim Reaper and Judas Priest channeled by way of Akakabuto. What's not to love?

There are a couple things you are going to have to accept about Japan's cult metal act Metalucifer to truly appreciate what they offer. One, Gezo (Sabbat) and crew are going to write songs about heavy metal music that sound as if they were written during or prior to 1985.

Two, Gezo and crew are going to write songs about heavy metal music that sound as if they were written during or prior to the year of 1985. For Metalucifer is a celebration of those early, formative years, when leather and heavy metal made for an exciting subculture that had many years before it would become jaded and reviled by new generations of tweens and twits. You'll either get it or you won't. If you do, you will probably enjoy this record even more than its predecessors 'Heavy Metal Drill' and 'Heavy Metal Chainsaw'. If you don't, there's the door.

The band have retained their tongue in cheek approach to songwriting. Every title is "Heavy Metal Ironfists", "Heavy Metal Battleaxe", or "Heavy Metal Wings of Steel". If a new band tried this today, I'd want to strangle them. But this is not a new joke, the band has been at it for 14 years, complete with Gezo's dirty, smutty vocals and phenomenally bad (i.e. awesome) Engrish lyrics that the band have wisely held on to.

For Metalucifer exists in a fantastic world much like Tim Schaeffer's upcoming Brütal Legend game, where the skies are full of gleaming chrome angels of death and the mountains are Marshall amplifiers. The lyrics create a sort of quasi-mythological universe of terrible metal stereotypes, yet maintain a positive, inspirational feel. Is this an ironic album? Yes and no. Gezo and his band really love these old metal records, and collect them. The riffs here are all classic, and a few of them damn good (as on "Heavy Metalucifer" and the Maiden-esque "Heavy Metal Demons".) Influences? You name them. Basically if it was metal music from the 70s to early 80s and didn't suck, this band has successfully summoned it forth on this record. The album sounds great, plug in and play, with all sincerity.

Again, you'll 'get this' or you won't. I'm not always a fan of joke bands, save the few that can transcend lame parody and come into their own, all the while writing good music. Metalucifer is one of the few that succeed at this, and makes for a nice respite from the more serious (but even more excellent) Sabbat.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

This is the third full-length album from Metalucifer, a Japanese band playing -- you guessed it! -- heavy metal.

This record was released in three different versions: an English language version with a German line-up headed by Blumi from Metal Inquisitor and two different versions (Japanese and English lyrics) with the Japanese line-up. I must admit that I skipped the German version, though. To me, it ain't Metalucifer if it doesn't have Gezol on vocals, sorry! Between the Japanese and English versions, I strongly recommend the former -- Gezol is naturally more comfortable with his native language, and these songs have much greater vocal range as a result. Besides, the chorus parts are largely the same, and assuming you speak a little Japanese, the Japanese version is actually easier to understand...!

It has been eight years since the last Metalucifer album, and Heavy Metal Bulldozer is more than worth the wait. These songs are easily as good as almost anything from H.M. Drill or even their best, H.M. Chainsaw! For the most part, the songs on this record are a little slower than before, packed with mid-paced NWOBHM feeling, but songs like "Heavy Metal Battleaxe" and "Heavy Metal Bulldozer" will satisfy those looking for another "Flight of Iron Pegasus". In fact, there's a ton of variety on this record, up to and including a ballad in "Heavy Metal Mountain". My personal favorite, "Heavy Metal Demons", even has a bit of a Sabbat sound to it! The best part is that every single song is catchy and memorable; this record is stuffed with soon-to-be-classic examples of the Metalucifer sound. I don't think there's even so much as a nanosecond of filler here.

Fans of NWOBHM-era bands like Saxon and Angel Witch ought to get Heavy Metal Bulldozer; so should people into Japanese bands like Sabbat, Gorgon, and Magnesium... and so should you, yes, you! Nobody who likes riffs, solos, and HEAVY fuckin' METAL could possibly be disappointed by this record! Highest recommendations.

Standout tracks: "Heavy Metal Battleaxe", "Heavy Metal Warriors", "Heavy Metal Demons"

Review by vorfeed: http://www.vorfeed.net