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NASTY SAVAGE
Jeopardy Room

FHM (2024)
Rating: 8/10

Nasty Savage is one of my favourite heavy metal bands, responsible for three classic albums in the 1980s: Nasty Savage (1985), Indulgence (1987) and Penetration Point (1989). After that particular era the band suffered several breaks before releasing a fourth full-length in 2004, Psycho Psycho, before dissolving. Even so, the Floridian combo has been wafting around in some form since 2016, but I was mighty surprised when a brace of singles emerged this year and now this new album, Jeopardy Room.

Still led by original vocalist “Nasty” Ronnie Gilletti, the new look Nasty Savage also features drummer Jim Coker who first appeared back in 1992, guitarist Pete Sykes who joined in 2018, fellow axeman Dave Orman who was recruited in 2022, and newest member Kyle Sokol who plays bass.

As with a lot of classic band’s I become rather nervous when they release a new album after being away so long, but the fact Ronnie and co. has re-recorded old demo gem ‘Witches Sabbath’ brings a tingle to the spine, as does the gloriously old school cover art from Lewis Van Dercar.

Although the last album, Psycho Psycho, was somewhat of an underwhelming release, Jeopardy Room more than makes up for it. This is the sound Nasty Savage fans want to hear; glinting full strength power metal fused with beefy, burly thrash encased in muscular riffs, pounding bass and drums and Ronnie’s no nonsense vocal drive. Case in point is the monstrous ‘Brain Washer’ with its immense metallic riffage, meandering solo and consistently pummeling percussion. This is classic Nasty Savage, a blazing potent force streaked with sublime melody and crushing rhythms, as evidenced on the vaguely deathly ‘Schizoid Platform’ complete with Ronnie’s growls

You can pluck any track from this opus and you’ll be flattened within seconds. I want to refer back to ‘Witches Sabbath’ though as it features guest contributions from Obituary’s John Tardy (vocals) and Donald Tardy (drums) which gives it more of a punch, not that it was required because this cut literally starts where the glory days of the band finished, a seamless transition into face-melting savagery. Even so, the band doesn’t simply resort to nostalgia, far from it. Jeopardy Room boasts a modern brutality, epitomised by such lethal constructs as the rousing ‘Operation Annihilate’, ‘Southern Fried Homicide’ and, big favourite of mine, ‘Aztec Elegance’ which showcases the bands fluid variety.

With so many battering rams to behold, Jeopardy Room does feel somewhat Bay Area-inspired, especially on ‘Blood Syndicate’, but more than anything the return of Nasty Savage proves that old dogs don’t necessarily want to learn new tricks; they just want to rip your face off, still. You will have to accept, however, that those early releases will never be bettered, but this is as close as it gets.

Neil Arnold

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