Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Running Wild
Label: Noise Records
Release: 1985
Rating: 3/5
“Branded And Exiled” was a small, barely noticeable but still important step forward for the Hamburg classic metal outfit, who were only one step away from discovering “pirate metal”, the thing that would later leave such a strong mark on their body of work. Under the leadership of their charismatic eternal rebel, singer and guitarist Rock’n Rolf (later also the pirate captain), Running Wild were still getting hyped up in their lyrics, at this early stage of their career, about pretty cheap black metal iconography, which was really just an amateur attempt at expressing disagreement with how the dominant religious and political institutions operate. They carried on here with their signature sound, so typical of the Teutonic school of heavy metal: dual guitar harmonies, lightning-fast solos, aggressive riffs and the marching rhythms of the drummer’s double bass pedals. The quality of those dual guitar harmonies got a real boost from swapping out original guitarist Preacher, who retired from music to become a Protestant vicar, for the technically far more polished Majk Moti.
Unlike on the previous record, where the best tracks only showed up right at the end, Running Wild bare their teeth from the get-go, hit with full force and deliver the best piece on the whole album. The opening title track has nothing in common with their later pirate adventures, sure, but it can already be counted among the full-blooded Running Wild classics. The recipe for success lies in the melodic chorus, which is basically a proper epic anthem, a call to rebellion sharpened by double bass pedals. “Gods of Iron” is a thoroughly average effort as a whole, but the nice three-part guitar harmonies deserve the attention of every music gourmet out there.
The main “problem” with Running Wild was usually that, especially “over the long haul”, they could easily succumb to repetitive rhythms and a limited sequence of guitar chords, so a casual listener could sometimes get the feeling that they were playing the same song over and over through the whole album, which on the other hand convinced the faithful diehards that they had never strayed from the “true path”. Kasparek’s basic recipe, once you strip away all the arrangements and accompanying concepts, was always the same, sure, but he always tried, sometimes more, sometimes less successfully, to add something new.
“Realm of Shades” is yet another extremely average creation that’s more or less destined for oblivion, which makes “Mordor” come off all the better. Inspired by the realm of the demonic Sauron, the main villain of Tolkien’s literary classic The Lord of the Rings, it has a gloomy atmosphere backed by jagged guitar riffs, dull thuds of double bass pedals and Rolf’s bleary-eyed vocals, while the main attention goes to an excellent but sadly too short epic ending with three-part guitar harmonies. “Fight the Oppression” is another rebel anthem that, if nothing else, is good for jolting the average metal “knucklehead” out of any boozy dreams. “Marching to Die” is Kasparek’s personal reckoning with the lords of war and clericalist dogmatism, which would become his favorite pastime on all his later studio efforts too.
“Branded And Exiled” already had a few moments hinting that a band with a soul of its own was slowly coming to life. On the other hand, the production still left a lot to be desired, as most of the tracks sound as if the band were stuck inside a giant cauldron while recording them. That shows especially on the closing classic metal anthem “Chains and Leather”, which touches on two beloved metal fashion fetishes in its lyrics. Despite such clichés of the “eternally united metal brotherhood”, the kind you’d usually expect from the likes of Manowar and Saxon, this is a solid piece of work, though in the later re-recorded version, with its improved production, it comes off even more convincing.
Lineup
Rock’n’Rolf – guitar, vocals
Majk Moti – guitar
Stephan Boriss – bass guitar
Hasche – drums
Production
Running Wild
Track List
1. Branded and Exiled
2. Gods of Iron
3. Realm of Shades
4. Mordor
5. Fight the Oppression
6. Evil Spirit
7. Marching to Die
8. Chains and Leather
