VICIOUS RUMORS — Electric Punishment (review)

VICIOUS RUMORS — Electric Punishment album cover

Album · 2013 · US Power Metal

4.5/5 · 2013-04-19
adg211288

Electric Punishment (2013) is the eleventh album by US power/heavy metal act Vicious Rumors. It is the second studio album from the group to feature the vocals of Brian Allen (after comeback album Razorback Killers (2011)) and follows hot on the heels of the live release LIVE You to Death (2012). Electric Punishment returns guitarist Thaen Rasmussen to the Vicious Rumors line-up, having last appeared on Warball (2006). The album features a cover of Strange Ways, originally by glam metal/hard rock act Kiss.

Vicious Rumors have a real classic and powerful metal sound which blends traditional heavy metal with the US style of power metal. Typically this is in the form of doing one or the other in each of the tracks although there is a couple which blends the two a lot more. They’re equally competent at both sort of sound but the USPM is most definitely their true forte. They have an aggressive near thrash approach to it that not even the harder edged (usually German) European power metal bands can manage. Brian Allen’s vocals work perfectly in this style, being just as aggressive as the guitars yet still retaining that crucial sense of melody that all power metal, European or US, has, and using this formula the band produces some real belters of tracks including Black X List and D Block. And yet they’re not afraid to show a softer side either, such as in the ballad Escape (From Hell). It should be noted that a ballad in terms of this album is still very heavy and aggressive, and turns back towards USPM about two thirds of the way through.

The more mid-paced heavy metal tracks are still pretty good but don’t stand out as highlights next to the USPM. I can understand the need for variation in a release like this, but I personally don’t doubt that if any band could pull an album off by just having the really aggressive numbers it would be Vicious Rumors. Out of the slower songs the title track is easily the best but nothing manages to stand out in quite the same way as the two tracks mentioned above or the opening I am the Gun or Thirst for a Kill near the end of the album. All of these are really addictive, pummelling songs and that’s what proper metal should be all about.

Vicious Rumors weren’t as such a new name to me when I was given a promo for their prior live album, but I hadn’t listened to them before. Intrigued, I checked out the live album and found I loved it, which definitely may me very excited for their next full-length and Electric Punishment most certainly delivers the goods. If fast and aggressive metal is your thing then you’ll no doubt love this one and an exceptional grade rating is deserved.

92/100

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven (http://metaltube.freeforums.org/vicious-rumors-electric-punishment-t2890.html))

more than 2 years ago
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adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I only heard Razorback Killers after writing this. I don't know it half as well still but based on early impressions I agree. Murderball is an insanely powerful song.