These Brummies have built quite a name for themselves, having played Bloodstock in recent years as well as raising funds for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. I’ve heard no shortage of praise about this band and yet amazingly this is the first time I have actually heard so much as a note from them. Upon seeing the cover, I have to wonder how they came to kidnap Eddie; did they knock him out from behind, perhaps, and did he put up much of a struggle? I mean, this cover couldn’t be any more Maiden if the words Bruce and Dickenson were blazoned across it.
Thankfully however this is no Iron Maiden carbon copy, and that’s clear from the start as a ferocious scream leads in to some surprisingly modern guitar riffs. Perhaps I was expecting this to take me back to the 1980’s riding the Steel Panther hype yet again, but I was mistaken. Sure, there is a classic backbone to the sound and you can practically hear the creak of leather jackets and smell the musty, patched denim in the background, but Beholder fuse that together with more current influences. There are some killer melodies to be found here and some genuine skill in the vehement drumming, while the guitars lead a double-barrelled assault on the razor-sharp ‘Razorline (On the Edge of Insanity).’
I rather like the chorus on ‘The Heretic’ which is rich in atmosphere and has the kind of warm yet booming vocal melody that reminds of Warrell Dane. As smooth as his vocals come across here and on the heartfelt ‘Brave Shall Fall’ he can equally bark out with aggression toward the end as the guitars gallop to the finish line. He definitely has that meaty, old school approach down, though. The latter comprises guitar solos that seem to melt into the melody, while lyrically I can’t help get the feeling this is a bit of a salute to the troops out there risking their lives for a pointless war, and to those who have lost family to it.
‘KMA’ gives the ears a bit of a bashing with its high-speed thrashing; ‘Kiss My Ass?’ ohh, so that’s what it stands for. Well, GFYS, if that’s your game! ‘Born Into Pain’ is another blow to the head, and once again we get those Warrell Dane histrionics. There’s a bit of a progressive slant to this one as well, while ‘March Of The Damned’ marches with intent, emitting a very modernistic vibe. This one is certainly worth a listen; good to see Blighty is still pumping out real metal!
http://www.beholderlive.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/beholderuk
http://www.myspace.com/limerecords
