I can’t remember the exact date I discovered Mega Colossus, but I know for a fact that I saw them live before ever hearing a single note of recorded music. It was either on a Legions of Metal lineup or that one day festival the dudes from Bible of the Devil used to put on (I can’t remember the name for the life of me as I type this). Whatever it the situation was, I remember them playing early on and being quite enjoyable. Did they blow my mind? Not necessarily, but I made it a point to keep an eye out for them in the future.
Fast forward to 2021 and I’ve gotta hand it to this cheekily named band for royally screwing up my year end list. Just when I thought it the i’s were dotted and t’s were crossed, here comes Mega Colossus with an album that is indeed mega and colossal. It also absolutely rips, hence the name Riptime. Alright, now that I’ve got that out of my system, onto the actual music. Riptime draws heavily from the well of 80s traditional metal. Throughout are flourishes of power, prog, and epic metal, all wrapped up in a 40 minute sonic attack of steel.
The album opens with the high velocity blitz of “Razor City”. Driven by aggressive riffs, blistering leads, and fantastical lyrics, I can’t help but draw comparisons to Thundersteel era Riot, which is just about the highest compliment you can pay a band in this field. “Midnight Zone” and “Vigilo Confido” keep the fire burning, with galloping riffs and a progressive flair characteristic of Iron Maiden. Mind you, at no point on this album do Mega Colossus come off as a blatant Maiden ripoff like so many in the “NWOTHM” field. They’re just using these already established genre tropes to create their own original sound.
The prog leanings continue on “Tinker Tanner”, whose structure and guitarwork is reminiscent of classic Yngwie Malmsteen, as well as the dark and brooding “Boiling Seas”. My choice cut, “Run to the Fight”, gets my blood pumping, and not just because of its double bass driven rhythms. The lyricism on this song is downright gnarly, especially the line, “I drink ’til I flow like whiskey itself.” Whoever wrote that, give yourself a pat, no, two pats on the back. All of this retro romanticism culminates on the album’s closer, “Iron Rain”. An epic power metal romp, “Iron Rain” is lengthy, yet unrelenting in its attack.
Job well done to Mega Colossus for taking us back to a time when traditional metal was fresh, exciting, and unpredictable. The type of metal these dudes wield should ward off all of those who pose. On that note, I better wrap up this review before I accidentally plagiarize a Manowar song. I’m one rhyming of “loud” and “proud” away from a cease and desist courtesy of Joey DeMaio. Zoinks!
8 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Power Metal
For fans of: Riot, Iron Maiden, The Lord Weird Slough Feg