VICIOUS RUMORS — Vicious Rumors (review)

VICIOUS RUMORS — Vicious Rumors album cover Album · 1990 · US Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Nightfly
Although not releasing their first album until 1986 Vicious Rumors had been kicking around the San Francisco bay area since the turn of the decade, an area that has become synonymous with the eighties thrash metal movement spawning the likes of Metallica, Exodus and Testament. Vicious Rumors were an altogether different beast however, playing more traditional power metal in the vein of Judas Priest.

By the release of their eponymous third album Vicious Rumors had honed their art to near perfection, releasing the finest album of their career. The band are all excellent players with a strong dual guitar team of Geoff Thorpe and Mark McGee. In Carl Albert (sadly now deceased) they had a fine singer in the classic histrionic metal tradition and a solid as a rock rhythm section with drummer Larry Howe and bassist Dave Starr.

The album is a mixture of slower metal rockers and high speed, though never reaching thrash level power metal all infused with an ear on melody. What makes this their greatest album is the sheer consistency of the material with no weak tracks in sight. Album opener Don’t Wait For Me, whilst not the fastest song is a brutal slab of melodic metal with two great guitar solos and while it doesn’t get any better than this the other up tempo tracks like On The Edge, Thrill Of The Hunt and Hellraiser are its equal. There’s much to enjoy in the slower tracks though. Ship Of Fools and Down To The Temple being particular highlights.

Vicious Rumors would go on to release more fine albums, not least their most recent effort Warball, but for sheer consistency it doesn’t get any better than this.
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