After a rather meager March as far as new releases go, it’s as if all the cool bands got together and said, “Alright, let’s all drop our new albums on the same day (March 28th).” Seriously, there’s no less than 20 albums I’d love to check out this week, and I’ll be lucky if I get through 6. It’s times like these I wish this whole webzine thing was my full time job, in which case I’d get zero sleep whatsoever (as if I get any to begin with, ha) and spend all my hours diving into the latest in new heavy sounds, but alas, here we are.
So out of a field of twentyish prospects, what is it that pushes Savage Master to the front of the line? Well, for one, they are Defenders alumni, but so are nearly half of this bunch. The simple answer is, of all the albums that dropped on March 28th, Savage Master’s fifth album, Dark & Dangerous, is the one I anticipated the most. The more in depth answer is, I fell in love with this band back in high school, first as a fan. As the years progressed, between ongoing social media exchanges and countless Chicago area appearances, I gained a whole new appreciation for Savage Master, as a friend. Don’t let their menacing stage presence fool you! Frontwoman Stacey Savage and her band of masked marauders are perhaps the sweetest bunch you’ll ever meet, and they know how to make a damn fine metal album too!
Taking that into consideration, you’re probably wondering: Where does Dark & Dangerous rank amongst past Savage Master releases? After all, while I did enjoy Those Who Hunt at Night, it didn’t strike me as hard as Myth, Magic and Steel (2019). Well folks, it only took 12 years, but Savage Master have released what I consider their finest album to date. Think of it this way: Their first four albums ruled for the rough and ragged, cult metal crackers that they were, channeling the reckless abandon of a Metal Blade release circa ’83. Dark & Dangerous, on the contrary, is the “major label leap”. Everything, from the writing and performances, to the production (which is absolutely massive), is executed in a manner unheard of on past Savage Master releases.
In a world overflowing with soulless Priest clones, Savage Master know how to utilize the riveting riffage and dynamic dual guitar melodies of Tipton and Downing to create memorable headbangers of their own, amongst them “Warrior’s Call”, “Black Rider”, and “Devil’s Child”, each boasting the arena metal aura of Screaming for Vengeance. Equally as compelling is the melodious quality that dominates throughout, from Savage’s vocal lines to the way the songs themselves unfold. The Cirith Ungol-esque weirdness of past releases is gone. Instead, the band opts for metallized AOR forays (“The Edge of Evil”, “I Never Wanna Fall in Love Again”), straightforward shout-along anthems (“Devil Rock”), and even a haunting power ballad that, surprise, ACTUALLY lives up to the “power ballad” terminology (“Cold Hearted Death”).
Newfound dynamism aside, Dark & Dangerous is still a traditional metal album through and through, with cuts like the high speed “When the Twilight Meets the Dawn” and raucous “Never Ending Fire” thrown in to cast aside your doubts. Call the comparison blasphemy, but think of it as a spiritual successor to Warlock’s 1987 masterpiece, Triumph and Agony. In the case of Dark & Dangerous, it’s all triumph, and zero agony…that is unless you’re one of the surviving hags of the Washington Wives bunch, in which case, agonize away!
9 out of 10
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Judas Priest, Warlock, Chastain
Leave a Reply