SABRE TIGER - Decisive (CD+DVD)

Japanese metal veterans Sabre Tiger are back with their claws out! The new album Decisive is a full on heavy metal onslaught! Great production and a big dose of classic metal in the same vein as bands like Primal Fear and Dream Evil, but with some heavier and more brutal moments, such as killer track Avenger with its fierce riffing. The album is really packed with great tracks and a production which hits you like a brick in the face. My only slight complaint is the singer’s big, and in the long run quite irritating, vibrato. If he would only keep it straight, I would have no complaint at all as he has a really powerful rock voice, which fits the music perfectly. Well, maybe that’s just me. Besides this slight flaw the band is tight, the songs rock and the album is really consistent all through. So, I definitely recommend a closer listen. The album also comes with a great bonus live DVD recorded in Sapporo.
Janne Stark
Label: Edge Trax
Country: Japan
Year: 2011 

EVILSEVE - Don't Fall Asleep ....It's (CD)

Sweden has produced a whole armada of retro metal bands lately, mostly ranging from the vaults of the seventies to the eighties. In the eighties department we find names like Steelwings, Enforcer, Helvetets Port etc. Add Evilseve. Not really sure about the seriousness of these boys, though. Judging by some of the song titles it seems like it’s pretty tongue in cheek. Well, judge for yourselves: what does titles like “Mosquito Balls”, “Rapist With A Blowtorch” and “Spank Me!” tell you? Musically, and lyrically, I find a lot of parallels with Göteborg metal clan Dream Evil. Just listen to a song like “Incompetence Is Bliss” where singer “Puss Peckard” (yeah, right…) sounds very much like Dream Evil’s high pitch god Niklas Isfeldt, which is great in my book. “Puss” is actually a damn fine singer (and I know he does appear in other bands as well). If Evilseve would’ve had the same big and fat production as the aforementioned this album would have been elevated a couple of steps. It’s by no means badly produced, I just wish…. Anyway, the songs are classic metal straight out of the book of heavy metal, and I like it! The band does it really well. It’s well-played, the musicians are great, the songs are really good and I can take a bit of humour in metal, no problem. I actually enjoy this album, I do. One thing I miss is the wigs. Boys, you could either take it all the way like Steel Panther, or go serious. You are great enough to go serious, that’s for sure. I’d go for the Steel Panther road as there MUST me more groupies there!

Janne Stark
Label: Manora
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.evilseve.com/