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KILLER
Monsters Of Rock

Mausoleum (2015)
Rating: 9/10

Before you start sniggering at the unoriginal band moniker, bear in mind that this Belgian posse was shitting out classy heavy metal when most of us were still in the womb.

The Killer in question here released its debut slab back in 1980 under the title of Ready For Hell, and while the band weren’t quite prepared for the fiery pits of Satan’s lair, the trio continued to wade through the silt of the River Styx well into the 80s with two more full-length chunks, namely; Wall Of Sound (1982) and Shock Waves (1984), before 1990’s Fatal Attraction signalled the end for the band.

Like so many other veterans within the field, however, Killer rose from the ashes; re-emerging in 2002 with founding member Shorty (vocals / guitar) still at the helm. In 2003 Killer released Broken Silence, followed two years later by 2005’s Immortal, and although it’s been a decade of relative quietness in the ranks, I’m glad to announce that Monsters Of Rock is the new 15-track platter; an album that sees Shorty joined by Jakke (vocals / bass) and Vanne (drums).

And so we’re off, the title track sounding like one of those nostalgic yet always inviting trips back to the decade of the devil; a whistling solo, a fizzing drum, a combative bass and that sneering vocal display. It’s not big and it’s not overtly clever, but there’s enough density here to escape the glossy manner in which so many so-called nostalgic yet modern records have succumbed to. ‘Monsters Of Rock’ is a stomping, sweat-soaked bag of nuts, bolts and oil which does exactly what it says on that now well-used tin. Indeed, there’s nothing flashy here, but it’s very safe and sound heavy metal featuring some nice, melodic solos, a hard-hitting back-beat and enough ramshackle and rust to get the kids banging on the door and yelling, “What the hell are you playing daddy?”.

If anyone owns the albums released by Killer in the 80s, then you’ll no doubt be happy with this clanking slab of half-menace, half-anthemic molten metal. Okay, so the vocals are at times a little gravelled and strained, but when a veteran vocalist is booming “We are the monsters, the monsters of rock” there’s no other way you’d want him to sound, and I’d certainly take this vintage creakiness over a whole host of modern mimics.

The band continues its charge with the clomp of ‘Hold Your Head Up High’ which hints at that simple AC/DC styled plod, but it’s a song of hope for those “tired of living” and without employment. The only issue here is again that vocal strain which initially starts as a reasonable rasp, but struggles with the chorus. However, it’s still a catchy-as-hell track which I’ve not extinguished from my ears for several days.

This is the sort of ballsy, nodding metal I grew up with before the fluff of the late 80s clogged up the hi-fi needle. Killers play straight-down-the-line rootsy heavy metal, occasionally throwing in bluesy sways as with ‘Making Magic’, or a stinging traditional metal stab with ‘Rock City’, or even a Motörhead-styled rattle as with ‘Children Of Desperation’. So whatever path the band takes, there’s always that high level of energy; Killer still giving the likes of Accept a run for the money with a dose of deadly metal sure to get the fists pumping and heads banging.

Monsters Of Rock rarely has time for subtlety; ‘No Exception To The Rule’ comes out of its cage like a rabid wolf featuring some brilliant guitar work and persistent hammering drum, while ‘Back To The Roots’ sounds as fresh as a daisy with that cutting riff and burning weight. Elsewhere, the sonic storms of ‘Danger Zone’ – with its doom-laden introduction – and ‘Firestorm’ are joys to behold; the trio sounding like a threesome of excited youngsters who’ve just discovered the art of playing metal. In fact, ‘Firestorm’ is one of the finest metal songs I’ve heard for a while. If you’re after serious injections of speed though, then check out the sizzling ‘Deaf, Blind And Dumb’, which literally hammers the ears with its steely percussion, and the equally venomous ‘The Reactor’.

Of course, by the time I’ve reached the last few tracks, I’m not interested in what flaws the album may have to offer. Instead, there’s now several cans of beer soaking the vocals, two buckets of sweat on the floor, and enough blood in the ears to suggest that Killer’s seventh full-length record is the sort of metal experience I lapped up in the 80s, and so why should it be any different several decades later? 2015 just got a major kick up the arse, and in ‘Shotgun Symphony’ I may have heard one of the best metal marches of all time.

Not many veteran acts have the ability to release new material that matches their old stuff, but Killer has literally demolished their back catalogue with this fully-armoured vehicle and paved a new path of destruction. A killer album in the literal sense.

Neil Arnold

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