ARE U READY
SUDDEN DEATH
LINKS:
suddendeath.com
On the next offering, THOR sounds off the “Call of the Triumphant” a slower, but equally as aggressive song as “Are U Ready”. The guitar-work and vocals dominate here, only to be described as a mix of Iron Maiden and Dio circa 1983’s Holy Diver. Overall, it’s a nice trip down memory lane. The guitar and bass-work have a classic ominous feel; blistering guitar solo, although too short for my tastes. I could have done without the hokey “hey” chant in the beginning too.
Fast-forwarding a bit, we come back to D.O.A. on “Dead Men Tell No Tales”, a bruising, old-school punk song. Okay, the lyrics are campy and the vocal delivery is laughable, but you’ve got to appreciate the musicianship here. The drum-work is tight and complex and the guitar-work is adventurous, especially for a punk song; it’s admirable to hear punkers who try stretching beyond the boundaries of their genre though.
By the time we get to “Overtime”, the boys from D.O.A. haven’t seemed to run out of steam. Anchored by hard-hitting 5/4 drum-work, THOR’s guitarists let loose with an onslaught of chunky metallic riffs and soaring whammy bursts. Lyrically, not much has improved, but vocalist Joey “Shithead” Keithley’s delivery is earnest.
The closing track, “Rock the City”, sounds as if recorded live during the late 1970s. No matter though. It completes the nostalgic trip that is Are U Ready and is the album’s most rockin’ song. It’s full of deep grooves, screaming licks and driving drum-work that holds your attention the whole way through. Solid way of ending a solid album.
I am not sure how successful either of these bands are anymore or how well this album been selling, but one thing is certain. Both bands had fun recording it. They both play with an exuberance that so many bands lose after being around for 20+ years. Are U Ready’s energy alone make it worth, at least, a once-over.
---- By Eric V. White