Barely Human

You'll have to forgive me, but prior to this album the only other Meliah Rage cd I've heard is Solitary Solitude and I passed that one off as a rather generic take on a thrashier Metal Church.

After some rather sporadic times for the band, releasing albums in 1990, 1996, and 2002 (although this was an unreleased album that was recorded in 1992), Meliah Rage is back with a new cast of characters. Only the guitar duo of Nichols and Koury remaining, the rest of the band is rounded out by new members Paul Souza on vocals and the competent rhythm section of Barry Spillberg on drums and Jesse Johnson on bass.

Meliah Rage are still reminding me of Metal Church, but I'm finding much more to like in this album. I think the vocal change sounds more refreshing as, original vocalist, Mike Munro didn't seem to have much variation in his vocals, he did the rough thrash styled vocals in a competent manner but didn't seem to have much else going for him. New singer Paul Souza seems to have some more melodic ideas, he doesn't have the most gifted voice but he can sing and pull his ideas off very well.

The album just has this way of grabbing you with the power of simple, headbanging riffs. From the opening chugs of Hate Machine to the thrashy Invincible, then anthemic Barely Human, the ballad Ungodly you're pulled in instantly. By the time you've hit the end of Ungodly you know the rest of the album just can't be as good... But wait, it can be. With the rest of the album being filled with more great heavy metal as well as a rather jammy instrumental and interesting semi-ballad piece.

Like any good heavy metal album Meliah Rage's Barely Human makes you want to sing along and bang your head into the ground.