Thursday, November 6, 2008

Alltheniko - Devasterpiece (2008)


Alltheniko are one of a few Italian bands keeping the burning spirit of true 80s speed/power metal alive and well. Their debut We Will Fight! was cheesy but entertaining. Devasterpiece actually shows a slight maturity and a better overall production, but in return it sacrifices a fraction of the ironic fun of its predecessor. ONLY a fraction, though. The lyrics are just as goofy.

Let's make it clear: I don't always have a ton of respect for retro metal bands unless they're 1) doing it so right that it's difficult not to smile or 2) covering a style that is in no way 'cool', safe or typically accepted like many death, thrash or black metal bands. Alltheniko qualifies in both these categories. Most metal fans I know would instantly write this album off as crap. It's not crap. It's three guys with a genuine love for 80s European metal, and they celebrate it here. In particular this record reminds me a lot of the first few albums from German legends Rage. For example, listen to the third track "Thunder and Steel". That's amazing, I really thought it was Peavy singing for a moment.

The riffs here are great, classic speed metal with a lot of melody. The bass playing is pretty good as are the drums. The mix isn't the most polished but it's certainly adequate for a sophomore effort from a low budget band. There are some very good songs here and a few average ones. In addition to "Thunder and Steel" I really liked "Metal Unchained", "Feel the Power" and the very bizarre "I'm a Fuckin' Zombie". Yes, they have a song called "I'm a Fuckin' Zombie" and I was laughing my ass off through the entire thing. It's not really a joke song...

Alltheniko isn't about to win any awards here but they bring a smile to my face b/c they are so unabashedly old school, and they rock the hell out with their bad selves. If you cherish those early Rage albums or classic 80s German speed metal in general then they welcome you to share in the memories and the laughter. Good show.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/allthenikometal

1 comment:

Magicawe said...

I fucking listened to the crap out of We Will Fight, can't wait to hear this one.