Pedal to the Metal

Impellitteri’s Pedal To The Metal is an album with many ideas clashing all at once. The album covers many genres like groove, speed, neo-classical shred and, unfortunately some nu-metal/rap metal. My version of this album has a very different track listing so bear with me because some of the songs on my version are not on the metallum version.

The album starts off with The Iceman Cometh a speed/groove metal assault which is pretty entertaining, but a poor choice for an album opener. The Kingdom of Titus (Tribute) follows and its more of Impellitteri’s signature neo-classical speed style with a heavier feel to it. The rest of the album is like the first two tracks either exploring a groove/nu-metal style or a neo-classical speed metal style. Most of the songs range from mid-tempo to fast tempo but never very cohesively. Punk is the only song that steps out of that trend and explores the worst idea for a metal album ever rap metal. Punk seams to be a joke song making fun of rap metal but it comes off as a retarded idea and very tasteless.

The bands performance is top notch (especially the vocalists whose displays a very varied range) when their not exploring the realms of false metal. Most of the songs are solid except for Punk which not only bores me but it is just a waste of space. Nu-metal parts are slightly present but not enough to ruin each song just weaken them. Finally Pedal To The Metal’s overall formula could use some serious work because the lack of cohesive ideas and too much variety with out a point.

Pedal To The Metal is far from an excellent album though it is solid and still entertaining for the most part. Best songs are The kingdom Of Titus (Tribute), Dance With The Devil, Judgment Day and The Writings On The Wall. I recommend this album only to fans of Impellitteri and people who actually like Nu-metal.

-10 points Punk is a horrible song
-5 points album formula not cohesive
-4 points nu-metal is present
-2 points poor choice for album opener

This is ok stuff, for the most part. I'll break it down song by song.

The Writings on the Walls is absolutly ripping, and the Malmsteen influences are easily heard. Good speed metal and the chorus is quite a melodic trip. The new singer is very good. A nice piano breakdown. The neo-classical influences are very much alive in this song. The arpeggios are very fitting.

Crushing Dave starts heavy, with some weird growling in the beginning. A bit Nu-metalish though. The chorus has that stupid "meeeh" singing in there, and some ok neo classical stuff. Then comes crap that is just way to Nu-metal. This is very half and half. Too much one note riffing, mixed with some Malmsteen-like work. This is a low point, and unfortunatly the second track.

Destruction gets moving and sounds like "I'll See the Light Tonight" by Yngwie himself, but is obviosuly better than the previous song. A nice ripping solo (like most of Impelliterri's solo's) is here as well.

Dance With the Devil starts out moody with evil laughter. Nice main riff, very dark. Good double bass work as well.

Hurricane has some nice riff work but sounds like the singer ripped off the singer from Alice In Chains or Godsmack. Still, the guitar is very good.

Jadgement Day is like a classical trip and just rips. One of the better songs. The organ seems to fit well. There's no stupid singing here at all.

The Iceman Cometh is alright, theres a bit too much screaming and the guitar work is a little boring, comparitively speaking.

PUNK is the next song, and what a FUCKING STUPID SONG!!! I know they did it to make fun of the current scene and nu-metal and everything, but OH MY FUCKING GOD i dont want this mixed with some pretty decent songs. If I wasnt so lazy, I'd burn this cd, but without this fucktard of a song.

Propaganda Mind is like a Disturbed rip-off. I mean the fucking main riff sounds exactly like that Down WIth the Sickness song. Even the singing is reminiscent of that stupid singer, during the chorus. Another half-ass song.

Stay Tonight has more of that same guitar work, although seems a bit overused on this album. The singing is Matt Barlow-esqe. Kinda too happy sounding though.

The Fall of Titus gets right to the action, but still has a bit of that nu-metalishness to it. It's not bad, but needs to lose that bad one note riffing. The chorus is decent. Theres some stupid techno thing in the breakdown.

This album doesnt seem to have its own sound, and takes sounds from all other forms of metal (good or bad) The soloing isnt as good as previous albums, though still rips. This is still a very underrated band and most people dont even know about these guys. This album is half and half with me, for theres some good tracks, the bad ones are just VERY bad. I wouldnt recommend this album unless you like their sound, the good one at least. Just get the "Answer The Master" through "Crunch" and you'll see what these guys are all about.