Swiss hard rock/metal act Shakra first burst on the scene with their self-titled debut way back in 1998, and they've since released ten additional studio albums, including this latest for AFM Records, Snakes & Ladders. This new one is also the second with vocalist Mark Fox back in the fold, who rejoined for 2016's High Noon after being away from the band for six years. The band seem to have settled back into a familiar groove, as Snakes & Ladders is full of all the hook laden melodic metal and hard rock that we've come to expect from the guys, with Fox's gravelly vocals leading the charge over plenty of crunchy riffs and tight rhythms. "Cassandra's Curse" kicks off the album in fine fashion, an anthemic, melodic metal gem with a great hook and lots of tasty riffs courtesy of Thom Blunier & Thomas Muster. It also happens to be the strongest cut on the album, though I don't want to undermine the rest of the tracks as they really are quite solid as well. "Friday Nightmare" and the title cut rock hard with hooks galore, and "Something You Don't Understand" is a melodic song that all the ladies in the house will appreciate. "Rollin' " features some sleazy vocals & guitar work, a can't miss for any '80s hard rock fan, and bright, upbeat rockers like "Medicine Man", "The Seeds", and "I Will Rise Again" (more cowbell) again seem straight out of a 1987 time capsule.
At 12 songs, there's a lot of material here on Snakes & Ladders, and truth be told, trimming a track or two might have made a lot of sense to tighten things up a little, but overall this a fun album that won't win any awards for breaking new ground yet still pushes all the right buttons. Well done.
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Track Listing
01-Cassandra's Curse 5:27
02-Friday Nightmare 3:18
03-Snakes & Ladders 3:50
04-Something You Don 't Understand 4:00
05 -The_Seeds 4:17
06 - Rollin' 3:39
07-Medicine Man 3:27
08-I Will Rise Again 4:25
09-Open Water 4:35
10-The Race Of My Life 3:33
11-Fire In My Veins 4:47
12-The End Of Days 5:02
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