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MESSIAH’S KISS
Get Your Bulls Out!

Massacre (2014)
Rating: 8.5/10

This is a nice dose of catchy and fairly weighty melodic metal from German / UK / US outfit Messiah’s Kiss. I wasn’t sure about the cover art let alone the terrible album title, but it’s certainly one of those hefty, melodic metal albums that deserve its chance because all the right ingredients are here.

Firstly, there’s the effortless vocal sneers of Mike Tirelli who has featured for the likes of Riot and Jack Starr’s Burning Starr in the past, but he literally owns this record as the quintet charges through an almost rich and warm style of metal that comes into its own with the heavyweight chug of ‘Rescue Anyone? Rescue Me?’.

The guitar team of Georg Kraft (Repression) and Jason Banks (Persian Risk, Repression) can only be admired because they’ve created a mini-masterpiece here; combining classic 80s metal with that hint of contemporary design.

Although a very much straightforward, yet fleshy metal album I’m just so endeared to its quality, mesmerised by its textures and shaken by the drum techniques of Eckhard Ostra (Repression) whose prods complement the fine bass trundles of Wayne Banks (Persian Risk, Repression, ex-Sabbat).

Get Your Bulls Out! is the band’s fourth opus, but amazingly their first record since 2007’s Dragonheart. The album opens with the fiery ‘Livin’ In Paradise’; a ballsy, power metal romp featuring fast-paced chords and thrusting percussion, and yet it’s probably the weakest cut on offer in spite of its catchy nature. ‘Immortal Memory’ bubbles slowly to the surface with those rich vocal tones which are both rugged and laced in velvet; again it’s another upbeat rocker that brings Dio at its most powerful to mind.

When the band go full pace there’s also a touch of Accept about the prowess, but through that metallic snorting there are so many lush layers and melodic segments. This is particularly evident with the fantastic ‘Only Murderers Kill Time’ with its initial ballad-styled opening.

There are so many immense tunes to latch onto here, and at times with Mike Tirelli’s vocals I’m reminded of John Corabi (ex-Mötley Crüe) and also Joe Lesté (Bang Tango, Beautiful Creatures), and that rasp is just so infectious as he mows his way through the speedy ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ with its hammering guitars, and one of my favourite slices ‘Symphony Of Sin’ with its cracking bass intro and brooding velocity.

Isn’t it strange how albums can seemingly come out from nowhere and bite you on the arse? Messiah’s Kiss is clearly an underrated band and I don’t see how anyone can overlook such a racy and powerful opus. I for one am overawed by the likes of ‘Whisper A Prayer’ and the soulful metal slam of ‘Without Forgiveness’, and with Dio sadly being no more it seems only right that Messiah’s Kiss should take over the mantle. But please guys, a better album cover and title next time.

Neil Arnold

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