Label: Mighty Music
Release date: December 6, 2019
EP length: 33.25 min
Production: Blitzkrieg
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 7.5 / 10
»Loud And Proud« is the new EP from N.W.O.B.H.M. metal legends Blitzkrieg, a name every Metallica fan knows well, since Metallica played this cult English band’s song Blitzkrieg at plenty of their shows and later put it on the compilation »Garage Days Inc«. Anyway, last year the legendary Brits dropped a new studio album, »Judge Not«, which, title notwithstanding, had to be judged and convicted. Yep. It’s softer than expected, so it’s a mild letdown. It’s not bad, but it’s not what you’d hope for, and not what you’d expect to demand from this band given their reputation.
This EP is clearly a tactical move, a way for the band to bridge the gap between the still-current »Judge Not« and its follow-up, which will be the band’s tenth studio album overall. It has six tracks. Three are new ones taken from »Judge Not«, and at the tail end there’s Schools’ Out, a cover of the infamous Alice Cooper song that was tacked onto some versions of »Judge Not« as a bonus track and came out as a single this year. Loud And Proud keeps the same version as on the album (which makes sense, since it was picked as the EP’s lead track), while Without You is added this time in a version with Brian Ross on lead vocals (the original has guitarist Alan Ross on lead vocals), and the third of the new ones, Falling Into Darkness, also from »Judge Not«, got a fresh coat of paint in 2019 (orchestrations were added). The band also decided to add an excellent track from the 2007 album »Theater of the Damned«, Together (We Are Strong), in the version recorded for the Japanese market, which sounds a lot more “demo”, and right after it a reworking of their cult classic After Dark from the no less cult »Unholy Trinity« (1995), which is also the (logical) highlight of this EP and was likewise recorded in a version for the Japanese market.
So. The choice of material doesn’t exactly thrill, since it hints that the band plans to stick with the hard rock leanings they’re clearly flirting with on the softened »Judge Not«. That mostly goes for the opening two tracks, which come off way too “Saxon-style pompous”, while Falling Into Darkness brings a bit more »seriousness« and some real eighties occult vibes. The Together (We Are Strong) version no longer has the jagged edge of the 2007 original, but the raw sound is still welcome, since it gives you more of that feeling that you’re listening to a “demo” recording. After Dark keeps all its greatness and hits hard and crunches uncompromisingly, even in the newer take on the original. We’ll see what time brings, but it’s obvious the band could well cling to this softer songwriting in the future, which is clearly »hard rock«, meaning they’ll keep up the high level of musicality they develop in the chorus sections, where Blitzkrieg want to be as anthemic and pompous as they possibly can. It’s not fair to judge too early, but still. A bit of caution doesn’t hurt. Those of you who know the old Blitzkrieg won’t be raising even your left eyebrow this time. Of course, it’s a pipe dream to expect a recap of the energy of the »A Time Of Changes« days, but still. Let’s hope that playing After Dark helps the band find at least a shred of that anger and sneering sharpness of their old eighties and nineties attitude, and bring it back, or carry it over, to (at least) most of the songs on the next album.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Loud And Proud
2. Without You (alternate version)
3. Falling Into Darkness (orchestrated version)
4. Together (We Are Strong)
5. After Dark
6. Schools Out
Line-up:
Brian Ross – vocals
Ken Johnson – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Alan Ross – guitar, backing vocals
Liam Ferguson – bass
Matt Graham – drums
