FRENZY FIRE

    

METAL & ROCK REVIEWS

    
             
HOME            
REVIEWS            
ARTISTS            
UPCOMING            
LINKS            
             

     
     
     
         
         

Death Rider

      
         
         
         
     
             
Split Heaven are a heavy metal band from Mexico formed in 2003 who released their debut album in 2008. Two more albums followed in 2011 and 2013 with the band set to release their fourth effort, 'Death Rider'. in 2016.    
             
'Death Rider' opens the album in raucous fashion with a storming guitar riff and a NWOBHM style scream. Bustling along at speed, guitars rampaging and rhythms galloping 'Death Rider' is a sparkling opening song and one that will definitely have your head banging. The more melodic 'Awaken The Tyrant' rolls in all sinister in feeling as it strides majestically across the airwaves. Displaying traits of (iconic British legends) Judas Priest, 'Awaken The Tyrant is a blistering slab of melodic heavy metal. Picking up the tempo and riffing like it's a song from the eighties NWOBHM evolution, 'Battle Axe' chops and chugs endlessly as it storms on. Across all the songs, the vocal delivery is one of a clean and clear European power metal style.    
             
Buzzsaw style riffing sees 'To The Fallen' enter the fray and with blazing guitars and a solid back line it literally stomps and stamps on its way crushing anyone and anything that dares to stand in its way. Picking up speed and flying at a blistering pace is 'Speed Of The Hawk'. This is one of those frenetically furious songs that will have you thrashing your head back and forth and punching the air in extreme delight at such a corker. Even with the out and out pace, the chorus is catchy and is easily gonna be a chant in a live arena. Thundering and pounding, 'Ghost Of Desire' takes on mid tempo stomp as it rocks and rolls its way through yet more NWOBHM sounding riffing and across all songs on the album the guitar solos are very good and clear with the occasional screech and scream.    
             
Speed metal returns in the form of 'Sacrifice' with a bit of a snarly vocal delivery and a menacing undertone. The chorus line is blunt and aggressive with the chugging guitars relentless. The huge power metal riffing style of 'Talking With The Devil' is bold and brash and the chugging guitars will have you banging your head in time to every single chord. In the modern era, most power metal bands resign themselves to playing out at least one ballad on an album, but Split Heaven buck that trend, have no ballad, and keep the heavy metal flowing...'Descarga Letal' is over six minutes of rampaging metal, sung in Spanish! Guitars duel and the rhythms thunder as 'Descarga Letal' forays and forges a path of destruction through the airwaves. 'Destructor' ends the album in a blaze of melodic hard rock, chugging guitars and pounding rhythms. With no let up in pace or break for a ballad, 'Death Rider' (the album) is a breath taking journey of heavy metal.    
             
Overall, blistering heavy power metal played at a relentless pace with a superb NWOBHM feel to it, that will keep you head banging for ages.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Pure Steel Records    
             
Review is also featured at Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Electric Spell      
           
"an energetic gallop of traditional heavy metal, 'Electric Spell' is a cracking album" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
Top