Mob Rules: Celebration Day-30 Years of Mob Rules

Thirty years of German power metal in the shape of Mob Rules? Can't be. Looks it up. Wow. Doesn't time fly by? They are one of those bands who have always been in the trenches slogging around the scene without ever threatening to take over the world. That said, they've always been reliably entertaining if not exactly wholly groundbreaking but power metal is not exactly a cauldron of progression is it not?

There's a couple of hours of music on this new compilation album and thoroughly enjoyable if slightly disposable it is. All the originals one might expect are present and correct ("Hollowed Be Thy Name", "Black Rain", etc) but there are also some intriguing never-been-released covers alongside the first physical releases of digital-only releases.

Let's delve into the new stuff and see if it's essential shall we? "Run To The Hills"...we all know this one needs a remake don't we because the original lacked s little something didn't it? No, no it didn't and the Rules romp through the song in enjoyable if entirely inessential fashion. I'm glad I've heard it and never need to hear it again. I could probably say the same about the cover of Irene Cara's "Fame" but it sure is a good deal of fun though. Ghost are a band which I have never got along with and Mob Rules don't do anything special with "Square Hammer" but I find their take quite palatable.

As a primer for the uninitiated and those of a power metal bent Celebration Day-30 Years of Mob Rules is enjoyable. Also, I'd suggest that if you like a slightly less grandiose Avantasia or Edguy you might get a lot out of this.

Track Listing:
CD 1
01. Way Of The World
02. Run To The Hills (Iron Maiden Cover, new unreleased track)
03. Fame (Irene Cara Cover, new unreleased track)
04. Square Hammer (Ghost Cover, new unreleased track)
05. Ghost Town (re-recorded, previously digital only)
06. Sacred Heart (Dio Cover)
07. Ghost Of A Chance
08. Hollowed Be Thy Name
09. Sinister Light
10. Black Rain
11. Ice & Fire
12. Somerled
13. Flag Of Life
14. Unholy War
15. Fuel To The Fire

CD 2
01. Raven's Flight (Amon Amarth Cover, previously digital only)
02. Hymn Of The Damned (previously digital only)
03. Lord Of Madness (re-recorded)
04. Evolution's Falling
05. Shores Ahead
06. Hydrophobia
07. Hold Back The Light
08. Tele Box Fool
09. Desperate Son
10. The Sirens
11. Better Morning
12. Trial By Fire
13. On The Edge
14. Rain Song
15. Dykemaster's Tale

Added: April 29th 2024
Reviewer: Simon Bray
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 268
Language: english

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