running wild

In autumn last year the first re-issues of Noise Records bands/releases took place. This first wave included material from bands like Sinner, Running Wild and the mighty Kreator, songs that came from the earlier days of these bands, a time when the Berlin-based label had contracted them.

March 2017 will be the month of a next bunch of albums that will come back to surface again. It's the first milestones of Canadian thrashers Voivod that will be re-released under the banner of 'Noise Lebt!'. Voivod added with their anarchic and progressive thrash metal a new substyle to thrash metal, a sound that the guys developed further and finetuned over the last 35 years.

Not only that there will be a 'best of...', entitled "Your Weapons: The Very Best of the Noise Years 1986-1988", it's also classics like “Rrröööaaarrr”, “Killing Technology” and “Dimension Hatröss” that will hit the shelves again - in 2CD/DVD sets or as vinyl. That means for everybody who missed start of the Quebec-based metal quartet: Be quick. This is your chance to get up to speed with some true highlights in thrash metal.

...and the only question remaining: Will there be a re-issue of the Coroner discs somewhere later in 2017?

(8/10) There were times when I was almost convinced that the flagship of pirate-style metal disappeared in the endless ocean of metal - forever. But obviously there is still life in the old dog yet and it would be very wrong to write off Running Wild.

"Rapid Foray" is Running Wilds's newest album and it became a strong one. Running Wild is sailing close to the wind and with full speed ahead. Rock'n'Rolf and his crew deliver eleven new songs which are much better than expected. After being in a calm for several years, the band found back to some strong winds that pushes them hard. Running Wild's new record benefits from a lot of back-wind, somethings that's already reflected in the opener "Black Skies, Red Flag". We are talking about a song that covers all trademarks and it could easily fit on one of the earlier releases.

The title track is another well-done tune on the new longplayer. It is based on a vigorous rhythm and some traditional guitar riffs with he melodic vocals lines are the cherry on the cake.
Two more tracks are sticking out their heads from the rest. "The Depth of the Sea (Nautilus)" is an entertaining instrumental that fits very well into the context of "Rapid Foray" and the masterpiece is coming at the end. It feels like each of the ten songs has the simple task to prepare the listener for the epical "Last of the Mohicans". With more than eleven minutes length it exceeds each of the other tunes by far. The start is a very soulful one with some spoken words and an acoustic guitar. It sounds a bit like WASP in the "Crimson Idol" days. The tunes gains pace and power after a while and turns into a moderate paced Running Wild anthem. The chorus is melodic, the guitars are adding some heaviness and the rhythm section build a rock solid foundation. Only little remark though is the question if the song became too long. I think that 6-7 minutes would have done the job as well since there isn't that much variation included.
However, what started with "Resilient" finds its continuation on "Rapid Foray". Rock'n'Rolf brought the pirates back into the water lane, set sails and goes full speed ahead. This album belongs to the bigger surprises in 2016.

(8/10)

Tracklist:

1. Black Skies, Red Flag
2. Warmongers
3. Stick To Your Guns
4. Rapid Foray
5. By The Blood In Your Heart
6. The Depth Of The Sea – Nautilus (instr.)
7. Black Bart
8. Hellestrified
9. Blood Moon Rising
10. Into The West
11. Last Of The Mohicans

Label: SPV/Steamhammer

Genre: Heavy Metal

Release Date EU: August 26th, 2016

Normally my level of excitement is rather low when I get "Best of..." albums. In the digital world, when everybody can create their own personal playlist with iTunes, Spotify and others, the meaning of these kind of releases is, let's say, at least limited.
In this case things are slightly different. If this is more based on a nostalgic feeling of being grown up in the eighties I don't know, but I was very thrilled when I heard about "Noise lebt!" (engl. 'Noise is alive!'). Actually it is about Noise Records, the German record label, that was a real important player in the earlier days of metal. There have been a few labels at that time that gave metal a true chance. Metal Blade, Roadrunner and Music For Nations are some of them and Noise Records was the German equivalent.
Actually coming more from punk, Karl-Ulrich Walterbach moved the label more and more towards metal, discovering bands like Hellhammer (later Celtic Frost), Running Wild, Helloween and some more. Space thrashers Voivod have been signed by the label in an early stage as well as Grave Digger, the mighty Coroner and German beer passionates Tankard. Not to forget the metal command from Essen, Kreator. Noise Records was the label that gave all these bands a chance and created the springboard for them to grow and become successful.
The biggest success was for sure linked to Helloween. Their two "Keeper of the Seven Keys" albums are still highlights in metal, records that led to worldwide attention and publicitiy, something the band still builds on today.
In the beginning of the digital century Walterbach decided to sell Noise Records to Sanctuary Records, who later on where shut down. The entire back catalogue of Noise went to the archives - up till now.
It's BMG, who aquired Sanctuary Records in 2013, that revive the label and opens this treasure box again, releasing 'Best of...' records from eight bands that have been signed by Noise Records. Under the banner of "Noise lebt!" they released two disc compliations that include all the metal classic of the following bands:

• Kreator
• Running Wild
• Sinner
• Helloween
• Kamelot
• Skyclad
• Tankard
• Grave Digger

Each of these releases includes an additional booklet, featuring comprehensive liner note of each of the bands history.

Some of you guys might even be that young that you have missed the eighties. These CD's will help you to close the gap, diving into the early days of metal bands that are either still highly successful and/or having a cult status in todays metal scene. And for the ones that are older, like me, the discs are activating some memories from days when was still in the arly stages of its development.
At least for me these releases make a lot of sense and maybe there will be even more, partly unreleased things, in the Noise treasure box (I would love to see this package for Coroner).

Here are some more details per CD package:

Kreator: "Love Us Or Hate Us - The Very Best Of The Noise Years 1985-1992"

Helloween: "Ride The Sky - The Very Best Of 1985-1998"

Release Date EU: May 6th, 2016

Tracklist Kreator:

1. Endless Pain
2. Tormentor
3. Flag Of Hate
4. Total Death
5. Bonebreaker
6. Pleasure To Kill
7. Under The Guillotine
8. Riot Of Violence
9. Ripping Corpse
10. Command Of The Blade
11. Terrible Certainty
12. Toxic Trace
13. Storming With Menace
14. No Escape
15. Behind The Mirror
16. Extreme Aggression
17. Some Pain Will Last
18. Bringer Of Torture
19. Love Us Or Hate Us
20. Betrayer
21. Terror Zone
22. Coma Of Souls
23. People Of The Lie
24. When The Sun Burns Red
25. Agents Of Brutality
26. Renewal
27. Depression Unrest
28. Karmic Wheel
29. Europe After The Rain
30. Winter Martyrium

Tracklist Helloween:

1. Oernst of Life
2. Metal Invaders
3. Starlight
4. Murderer
5. Ride the Sky
6. Gorgar
7. Judas
8. I'm Alive
9. Future World
10. Halloween (Video Edit)
11. Eagle Fly Free
12. Dr. Stein
13. March of Time
14. I Want Out
15. Keeper of the Seven Keys
16. Kids of the Century
17. Back On the Streets
18. Step Out of Hell
19. Get Me Out of Here
20. Where the Rain Grows
21. Why?
22. Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)
23. Steel Tormentor
24. Wake Up the Mountain
25. Power
26. A Million to One
27. Hey Lord!
28. Time
29. I Can

Kamelot: "Where I Reign - The Very Best Of The Noise Years 1995-2003"

Sinner: "No Place In Heaven - The Very Best Of The Noise Years 1984-1987"

Release Date EU: May 13th, 2016

Tracklist Kamelot:

1. Eternity
2. Black Tower
3. Call Of The Sea
4. The Gleeman
5. Ascension
6. Heaven
7. Rise Again
8. Creation
9. Millennium
10. Expedition
11. Where I Reign
12. Rhydin
13. The Fourth Legacy
14. Desert Reign
15. Nights Of Arabia
16. Until Kingdom Come
17. We Three Kings
18. We Are Not Separate
19. Wings Of Despair
20. The Spell
21. Karma
22. Center Of The Universe
23. The Edge Of Paradise
24. Descent Of The Archangel
25. III Ways To Epica

​

Tracklist Sinner:

1. Danger Zone
2. No Place In Heaven
3. Lupo Manaro
4. The Shiver
5. Shadow In The Night
6. Wild Winds
7. Rattlesnake
8. Born To Rock
9. Bad Girl
10. Shout!
11. The Storm Broke Loose
12. Out Of Control
13. Too Late To Run Away
14. Hand Of Fate
15. Masquerade
16. Age Of Rock
17. Comin' Out Fighting
18. Rebel Yell
19. Germany Rocks
20. Lost In A Minute
21. Faster Than Light
22. Hypnotized
23. Don't Tell Me (That The Love Has Gone)
24. Knife In My Heart
25. Dangerous Charm
26. Nobody Rocks Like You
27. Concrete Jungle
28. Fight The Fight
29. Back In My Arms
30. Desperate Heart

Running Wild: "Riding The Storm - The Very Best Of The Noise Years 1983-1995"

Tankard: "Oldies & Goldies - The Very Best Of The Noise Years 1986-1995"

Release Date EU: May 20st, 2016

Tracklist Running Wild:

1. Victim of State Power
2. Genghis Khan (Remastered)
3. Prisoner of Our Time
4. Walpurgis Night
5. Branded and Exiled
6. Fight the Oppression
7. Chains and Leather
8. Under Jolly Roger
9. Beggars' Night
10. Diamonds of the Black Chest
11. Raw Ride
12. Intro / Port Royal
13. Uaschitschun
14. Final Gates
15. Conquistadores (Remastered)
16. Calico Jack
17. Riding the Storm (Remastered)
18. Evilution
19. Bad to the Bone
20. Tortuga Bay
21. Blazon Stone (Remastered)
22. Little Big Horn
23. Over the Rainbow
24. Genocide
25. Whirlwind
26. Fistful of Dynamite
27. Pile of Skulls
28. Soulless
29. The Privateer
30. Fight the Fire of Hate
31. The Phantom of Black Hand Hill
32. Lions of the Sea

Tracklist Tankard:

1. Zombie Attack
2. Mercenary
3. Maniac Forces
4. (Empty) Tankard
5. Poison
6. Total Addiction
7. Tantrum
8. Don't Panic
9. For A Thousand Beers
10. Chemical Invasion
11. Alcohol
12. Intro / Commandments
13. Shit - Faced - Faced
14. F.U.N.
15. Try Again
16. The Morning After
17. Alien
18. 666 Packs
19. Live To Dive
20. 666 Packs
21. Live To Dive
22. Open All Night
23. We Are Us
24. Dancing On Our Graves
25. Bermuda
26. Space Beer
27. Jurisdiction
28. Broken Image
29. Stone Cold Sober
30. Freibier
31. Death Penalty
32. Nation Over Nation
33. Two - Faced - faced
34. Grave New World
35. Minds onThe Moon
36. Atomic Twilight
37. Hope?

Skyclad: "A Bellyful Of Emptiness - The Very Best Of The Noise Years 1991 - 1995"

Grave Digger: "Let Your Heads Roll -The Very Best Of The Noise Years 1984-1987"

Release Date EU: May 27th, 2016

Tracklist Skyclad

1. The Sky Beneath My Feet
2. Trance Dance (A Dreamtime Walkabout)
3. The Widdershins Jig
4. Skyclad
5. Spinning Jenny
6. Salt On the Earth (Another Man's Poison)
7. Ring Stone Round
8. Men Of Straw
9. The Declaration Of Indifference
10. Alone in Death's Shadow
11. Emerald
12. A Room Next Door
13. When All Else Fails
14. Thinking Allowed
15. The Wickedest Man in the World
16. Earth Mother, the Sun and the Furious Host
17. Tunnel Visionaries
18. A Word to the Wise
19. Tunnel Visionaries
20. A Word To The Wise
21. Civil War Dance
22. Cardboard City
23. Land Of The Rising Slum
24. The One Piece Puzzle
25. A Bellyful Of Emptiness
26. Gammadion Seed
27. Brothers Beneath The Skin
28. Still Spinning Shrapnel
29. Just What Nobody Wanted
30. Art - Nazi - nazi
31. A Stranger In The Garden
32. Another Fine Mess
33. Halo Of Flies
34. Desperanto (A Song for Europe?)
35. Dance Of The Dandy Hound

Tracklist Tankard:

1. Headbanging Man
2. Heavy Metal Breakdown
3. Back from the War
4. Yesterday
5. We Wanna Rock You
6. Tyrant
7. Heart Attack
8. Shoot Her Down
9. Witch Hunter
10. Get Ready for Power
11. Love Is a Game
12. Get Away
13. Here I Stand
14. Don't Kill the Children
15. Keep On Rocking
16. Heaven Can Wait
17. Let Your Heads Roll
18. Love Is Breaking My Heart
19. (Enola Gay) Drop the Bomb
20. Paradise
21. Fall Out
22. Wanna Get Close*
23. Don't Leave Me Lonely*
24. Stronger Than Ever*
25. Moonriders*
26. Lay It On*
27. I Don't Need Your Love*
28. Stand Up and Rock*

What you could find already in some online shops earlier is now also officially announced - German pirate metal horde Running Wild is releasing a new record on August 26th. The longplayer is entitled "Rapid Foray" and the album comes via Steamhammer/SPV and it contains eleven new songs.

Main bucaneer Rolf Kasparek mentioned that the new tracks will be more complex than what ended on the last two albums while also sounding more like the earlier Running Wild material. Sound interesting and promising.

And here is the tracklist:

1. Black Skies, Red Flag 4:44
2. Warmongers 4:29
3. Stick To Your Guns 5:08
4. Rapid Foray 4:47
5. By The Blood In Your Heart 5:27
6. The Depth Of The Sea – Nautilus (instr.) 3:53
7. Black Bart 5:06
8. Hellestrified 4:22
9. Blood Moon Rising 4:20
10. Into The West 4:34
11. Last Of The Mohicans 11:11

(7/10) I have to admit that I haven't heard from Stallion before. On the one hand not a big surprise since the guys released so far just a demo and an EP called "Mounting the world".

The debut of the band will get into the stores mid september this year. The name? "Rise and ride". When I have seen the cover I wasn't sure what I had to expect, but it was honestly not a lot what I thought I will get to hear. 

But than the first riff came out of the speaker and it was a very postive surprise. It was oldschool heavy metal with vocals from Pauly that felt like a time warp. All of a sudden tight spandex trousers, denim and leather became present again. Not to forget the studded belt.

The songs of Stallion show that they adore bands like Accept ("Bill to pay"), Judas Priest ("Wooden horse") and Running Wild ("Rise and ride"). There are also moments when I had to think about the US metal of Liege Lord as well. Gritty guitars, pounding drums and a pushing bass is chasing you through 43 minutes of heavy metal.

From a songwriting there is nothing to criticise. All songs are well crafted and performed in a good way. Also the sound of "Rise and ride" fits.

Stallion lives the cliche from all perspectives: music, lyrics and image. All this woth the topping of the unbounded energy of the youth. 

"Rise and ride" is wild, furious and a punch in the face. Retro metal can't be played and performed much better.

(7/10)

Tracklist:

1. Rise and ride
2. Wild stallions
3. Streets of sin
4. Stigmatized
5. Canadian steel
6. Bill to pay
7. Waych out
8. The right one
9. The devil never sleeps
10. Wooden horse

Label: High Roller Records

Genre: Heavy Metal

(7/10) What happens if you merge Santiano with Sabaton and spice it up with a bit of the Dropkick Murphies and Running Wild? Exactly. You get Alestorm.

The band, that started as Battleheart, re-named in 2007, which means that they reflaged and continued the journey as Alestorm. "Sunset of the golden age" is album number four from the 4 sailor under the Jolly Roger.

In total the album comes with 10 new tracks. One of those is a cover version. It's not another metal track they make their own. No it's a pop mega seller - "Hangover" from Taio Cruz. For all of you who liked the song so far but never dared to admit this - now you have your version. All of a sudden the song rocks and sounds like being live from the quaiside-bar. Well done and more authentic than the original. Who dares wins.

But this is of course just one out of ten tracks. The own compositions are quite cool too. The opener "Welcome to the plank" sounds like the pirate version of Kreator - mainly due to the vocals of Christopher Bowes in the verse parts. A powerful riff introduces "Drink". If Swedish Sabaton would be pirates they would sound like this catchy tune. But there is also the folk compontent in Alestorm's songs. "Magnetic North" is one example as well as "Quest for ships" which sounds like a metal version of a Dropkick Murphys song. "Wooden leg!" is very fast and straight forward, while the longest track is reserved for the end. The bouncer "Sunset of the golden age", also the title track, is an eleven minutes long epos which shows quite some variations. The track is kept mid-speed, has an irresistable hookline and a great melody. It's a good song, eventhough Alestorm has their strength more in the 3-4 minutes tracks. But anyhow, a nice try with an entertaining result.

Funny side note when it comes to the cover of the album. I don't know if it is purely coinsident, but the cover looks very similar to the one of the latest Axel Rudi Pell release. A prove that the metal armada is still sailing on and on and on.

Pirates and metal belong together. That's what we know since Running Wild. Alestorm picked up the topic and  made their version out of it. Pirate metal 2.0.

(7/10)

Tracklist:

1. Walk the plank
2. Drink
3. Magnetic North
4. 1741 (The battle of Cartago)
5. Mead from hell
6. Surf squid warfare
7. Quest for ships
8. Wooden leg!
9. Hangover
10. Sunset of the golden age

Label: Napalm Records

Genre: Heavy Metal / Pirate Metal

It’s so strange. The first question which popped up in my mind when I got the new Running Wild album “Resilient” was: "Who played the drums". But I refuse to go further with the discussion in this review, because Roch'n'Rolf himself didn't want to talk about it and because for me the songs are the more important part on the album. Since I was grown up with “Branded & exil”, “Under Jolly Roger” and “Port Royal” those masterpieces are for me still the reference. The new album can’t live up to those mentioned milestones of the band, bit that doesn’t mean that “Resilient” is bad. Actually it is quite entertaining.

The opener “Soldiers of furtune” is a typical Running Wild song. Pounding guitars and a pretty catchy chorus. A good opener for this album. The title track, and also “Down to the wire” are for me two of the weaker ones on the album. They have a bridge and a chorus which doesn’t really stick and the songs have not really exciting moments. With “Adventure highway” the tempo and the fun increases and also “The drift” is for me one of the better songs on the album. It brings back the old Running Wild. A heavy guitar meets powerful melodies and a cool chorus. “Dessert rose”, as well as “Run roit” has a clear hardrock touch, which surprisingly fits pretty good. This kind of energy I would have loved for the latest Krokus release. “Fireheart” became the fastest song of the album. The headbanger “Cystal gold” is impeaching the privatization of water rights and “Bloody islands” is the real pirate style song on the album. It starts with the sound of some waves and a sailor background choir before a typical Running Wild sound closes the album.

Also good to see the the cover fits to Running Wild again.

So – “Resilient” is not a new “Port Royal” or “Under Jolly Roger”, but it’s much better than “Shadowmaker”. It will not revolutionize the metal world, the album is not very innovative, but the album reflects what Rock’n’Rolf can do best. This is writing good metal songs which are easy to follow and make your head bang. I like the album since it is easy to digest and has a high entertainment factor.

(7/10)

Tracklist:

1. Soldiers of fortune
2. Resilient
3. Adventure highway
4. The drift
5. Desert rose
6. Firehead
7. Run riot
8. Down to the wire
9. Crystal gold
10. Bloody island

Label: Steamhammer/SPV

Genre: Heavy Metal