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BLOOD GOD
Blood Is My Trademark

Massacre (2014)
Rating: 6/10

First thing’s first, do not confuse this bunch of German metalheads with the Dutch death metal band of the same name. This particular Blood God delivers high energy rock ’n’ roll that reeks of AC/DC from its vocal rasps to its anthemic choruses, the only real difference being that this bunch opts for a harder hitting, almost thrashy-edged style of metal which also recalls the molten metal mayhem of Accept, U.D.O. and the likes.

First off, we must revel in the fiery anger of the main ten tracks. Well, from the off it is a riotous, rollicking affair; ‘Slaughterman’ is an immediately infectious, AC/DC on crack, pumped up affair of ravaging riffs and crazy solos. If anyone has seen the promotional video, then one can only bathe in the blood-spattered buffoonery of a sweat-soaked metal uproar that is at once melodic and more importantly, fun to be around.

This is storming, straight down the line galloping metal deemed the more stripped down, and denim-clad version of Thomas Gurrath’s Debauchery. Balls to the wall, hands in the air, sweat on the brow, head-banging, chest-pounding, blood-spitting tumultuous rock ’n’ roll that comes two years after the band’s 2012 debut No Brain. But Balls!, it’s a record that should thrill anyone with a penchant for all manner of bands, whether contemporary or very much in metal’s past. Throughout this smouldering wreckage of an opus I can hear hints of Helloween, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and of course the more modern sounds of, say, Airbourne.

It’s all rather basic but it sure knows how to put on a party, from the clanking ‘The Monstermaker’ where the vocals really do imitate Brian Johnson (AC/DC), while ‘Defenders Of The Throne Of Fire’ seems to ape the Aussie rockers to an even more criminal level than Kingdom Come’s celebrated mimicry of Led Zeppelin back in the late 80s.

Riff-wise it’s as if Angus Young has left his guitar lying around and once married with that thumping percussion it becomes nigh on impossible to look beyond AC/DC, but for all the comparisons there are some half-decent rockers on show here, particularly the slow-burning ‘Warhordes From The Underworld’ with its opening solo whine and crashing percussive introduction. I also enjoyed the plodding ‘Sexy Music For Sexy People’ with its hints of New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, and I even found myself nodding along to the brooding atmosphere of ‘World Of Blood Gods’ and the jaunty ‘Mr. Kill’.

Although completely lacking originality, Blood God’s latest truck load of metal is one probably best enjoyed after a drunken night out. Other than that though, in spite of its enthusiasm I see no real reason to enjoy this album much after a few spins, suggesting this has a limited shelf-life. I see no reason either for the band to include a complete bonus disc showcasing the album once again but with extra Debauchery “death metal voice” added. This alone suggests this is just one big gimmick, and for every half-decent riff and angst-ridden vocal yelp, this album just screams of comedy.

Neil Arnold

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