Man, do I love me some werewolves...and, I've also always had a soft spot for the combo of guitar shredder Chris Impellitteri and vocalist Rob Rock. They are at it again, along with bassist James Pulli and drummer Jon Dette, for this latest Frontiers Records release, The Nature of the Beast. Containing a dozen heavy metal rippers containing Rock's histrionic vocal attack and Impellitteri's speed of light solos and fierce riffing, The Nature of the Beast is also quite melodic, with the majority of the tracks instantly memorable to go along with their merits as solid headbanger fare.
Tunes such as "Hypocrisy" and "Run For Your Life" provide a wealth of catchy choruses and guitar hero acrobatics, while "Phantom of the Opera" allows the band to reach into progressive metal terrain (think vintage Rising Force or Alcatrazz) with some ridiculous Impellitteri six string gymnastics. There was a time back in the late '80s that this guy claimed to be the fastest guitar player alive, and while he might not be quite that here in 2018, he's not that far off. "Gates of Hell" is heavy as, well, hell, with Rock even throwing in a 'look out!' to provide a fun little nod to the great Ronnie James Dio. Other crushing face melters include "Wonder World", the grinding "Man of War", and the near speed-metal frenzy of "Fire It Up", plus there's even a cool shred version of the Black Sabbath classic "Symptom of the Universe" that needs to be heard to be believed.
Honestly, not a dud to be found here, the production of Mike Plotnikoff spot on, the guitars of Chris Impellitteri set at maximum crunch, and the rhythms rock solid. Rob Rock still sounds fantastic, always one of the most underrated heavy metal vocalists, and together these guys are still firing on all cylinders. Oh yeah, the werewolf cover art is way cool too!
Track Listing
- Hypocrisy
- Masquerade
- Run For Your Life
- Phantom Of The Opera
- Gates Of Hell
- Wonder World
- Man Of War
- Symptom Of The Universe
- Do You Think I’m Mad
- Fire It Up
- Kill The Beast
- Shine On
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
