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░ ██ ██ Artist: Old Head ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Maximum Rock █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2012 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-05-15 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: At War with False Noise ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ American heavy metal/hard rock band Old Head █
█ promises to bring back the attitude of 70s heavy █
█ metal and thrash metal with their debut full █
█ length album, Maximum Rock, a promising title █
█ indeed, despite the responsibilities and █
█ expectations that come with it. Boasting among its █
█ ranks is also Brutal Truth drummer Richard Hoak, █
█ further upping the expectations. █
█ The album starts off pretty neatly, with the █
█ Jethro Tull cover, Fat Man, and the energy that is █
█ present in the band is immediately apparent to the █
█ listener, with a modern heavy metal and slight █
█ speed metal take to the song, complete with the █
█ furious drumming of Richard and the sharp riffs of █
█ guitarist Ryan. Bleeder then is the first proper █
█ track to display the band's songwriting style, a █
█ catchy and thrashy brand of heavy metal. Each of █
█ the members of the band have their moments to █
█ shine, from the old-school leads of Ryan to the █
█ numerous lead bass spots that are given to Dan as █
█ well and the energetic drumming of Richard. Old █
█ Head also dares to take the bold step of paying █
█ tribute to the old school in the form of including █
█ cheesy tracks on the album, such as the anthemic █
█ Kill, Kill, Kill, which also sees the band █
█ incorporating numerous other elements such as the █
█ almost black metal-inspired riff towards the end █
█ of the track. █
█ While the band is enthusiastic in displaying their █
█ energy through the execution of the songs, there █
█ are quite a number of moments where this came █
█ across as overly forced, resulting in awkward and █
█ messy sounding moments. For example, on tracks █
█ like Libertine, the furious, extreme █
█ metal/grindcore style of Richard's drumming █
█ certainly sounded out of place when placed among █
█ the rest of the instruments, and this is █
█ especially evident towards the end of the track. █
█ There are also times when the songwriting of the █
█ band falters, and this comes in the form of █
█ awkward guitar solos like on Ungodly, or simply █
█ through the inclusion of messy and overly chaotic █
█ moments that spoil potentially good tracks. █
█ The covers that are included on the album though, █
█ could please fans of the old school considering █
█ the excellent interpretations that the band have █
█ given to them. Almost Cut My Hair, for example, █
█ sees Old Head giving a nice, heavy albeit slightly █
█ chaotic touch (thanks to the drumming of Richard) █
█ to the track, and Rock and Roll Doctor is simply a █
█ nice track to groove along to. Overall though, █
█ Maximum Rock is a rather fun album to listen to, █
█ if one were not seeking something overtly serious █
█ or technical and something like a heavier version █
█ of bands like Velvet Revolver. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Bleeder 3:06 ░
░ 2. Fat Man 1:57 ░
░ 3. Libertine 3:47 ░
░ 4. Kill, Kill, Kill 4:31 ░
░ 5. Almost Cut My Hair 3:14 ░
░ 6. Ungodly 2:26 ░
░ 7. Consumptuous 2:55 ░
░ 8. Rock 'n' Roll Doctor 2:55 ░
░ 9. Stoner Grind 1:59 ░
░ 10. Ballad of Old Head 4:08 ░
░ 30:58 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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