Nightfly I’ve read a few things about Demons, the new Savage Messiah album and previous release Hands Of Fate, that make the point that after starting their career as thrash metal hopefuls and making a pretty good job of it, that they have in recent years adopted a more mainstream heavy metal stance. It has been seen as a somewhat backwards step and they are the worse for it. Firstly I find this idea total bollocks. Not that the above is not true but the view that heavy metal is somehow inferior to thrash metal. Now I like thrash as much as the next man but I equally have a fondness for well-played heavy metal and Demons is certainly that.

The album kicks off with Virtue Signal and after a power metal infused start retreats into more typical heavy metal. It packs considerable punch as well as plenty of melody. Next track What Dreams May Come is probably a contender as an example of what the naysayers are getting at. Nevertheless despite its mainstream leanings it’s a likeable enough song with a strong melody. The band occupies similar territory in other songs on the album such as Parachute, The Lights Are Going Out and Until The Shadows Fall, but they’re all played with conviction and not a weak one amongst them. There are still plenty of songs that kick ass and whilst this is primarily a heavy metal record thrash infused riffs are still evident at times even if they may not dominate whole songs. Pick of the bunch would be Heretic In The Modern World, Under No Illusions, Down And Out and Rise Then Fall, all with strong hooks and melodies without sacrificing power.

The band are all good players with a nod to drummer Charly Carreton who gives a fine performance with plenty of inventive fills and rhythmic shifts. Their ace up the sleeve comes in vocalist Dave Silver, a great metal/rock singer in the traditional sense. Kind of a Jon Bon Jovi for metal with more balls. Yes, good clean vocals are hard to beat.

While I’m not overly familiar with all Savage Messiah’s albums I’m enjoying Demons as much as any of them I’ve heard. If traditional heavy metal is your thing you really ought to check this out and I’m definitely going to go back and check out those albums I’ve missed in their back catalogue.

adg211288 The Fateful Dark (2014) is the fourth full-length album by UK thrash metal act Savage Messiah. It is the first release to feature new drummer Andrea Gorio. Versions of the album are available that feature bonus cover tracks of the artists Iron Maiden, Diamond Head and Motörhead. At this point in their career though Savage Messiah have moved on from being a purely thrash metal based act. The music on The Fateful Dark also draws extensively on power metal, which coupled from the vocals of Dave Silver has resulted in a much more melodic record than the typical thrash metal act offers. The truth is on The Fateful Dark Savage Messiah have a little bit more to do with power metal than they do thrash, but they still deliver plenty of thrash metal riffs, particularly during the second half of the album, ending up with a melodic power-thrash sound.

The Fateful Dark has proved an interesting change of pace as far as power-thrash goes. I've listened to a few such albums recently and enjoyed them but also found them wanting in a certain respect, that being the vocals. While harsh and aggressive vocals are all well and good for thrash metal they don't work so well with power metal and albums like Exmortus' Slave to the Sword (2014) and Shadow Host's Apocalyptic Symphony (2013) both suffered from this to different degrees. Savage Messiah on the other hand do not thanks to Dave Silver's classic metal voice. Admittedly the two albums I just mentioned are of the more thrash orientated power-thrash sound, however it's the case with these hybrids that vocals you'd expect to hear on a power metal record still work with thrash music, which is really what makes all the difference and The Fateful Dark such an enjoyable power-thrash experience.

Of course the excellent musicianship helps a lot. Savage Messiah doesn't have as complex a sound as acts like Exmortus or Dark Design (A USPM/Thrash/Progressive cross) so they are I think a bit more accessible. They've produced a no less satisfactory album in The Fateful Dark because of that; the guitar melodies are very good, at times even having an Iron Maiden vibe. The riffs may seem a bit over polished production wise by thrash metal standards so I'd definitely recommend this one to power metal fans first and foremost, but there's certainly some great thrash work here too such as in Hammered Down while Live as One Already Dead represents one of the most effective ballads I've heard in a while, featuring some really epic moments and emotive lead guitar.

The Fateful Dark has been my first full experience of Savage Messiah but they've definitely made a fan out of with this one. It's simply a classic metal sound done really well. Since their older works are much more thrash metal orientated it may come as a surprise to existing fans, but hopefully a positive one. 4.5 Stars are easily deserved in my book.

89/100

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven: http://metaltube.freeforums.org/savage-messiah-the-fateful-dark-t3407.html)

Stephen 'Plague of Conscience' is violent, demonic, and aggressive, as typically found in old Bay Area thrash pattern, and that's what SAVAGE MESSIAH's latest album is all about. The very first track is fast-paced with blistering rhythm, the riffs are mindblowing, and the hellish scream at the beginning sparks the signal that they're about to wreck havoc. That's a fantastic track, but too bad, I didn't feel that way on the next two tracks.

'In Thought Alone' brings back the energy and it's amazing to hear the roaring guitars with a brilliant chorus to sing along. Now, the band achieved the peak performance on 'All Seeing I', this is what I call a thrash perfection, a marvelous headbanging gem, and definitely the best tune here. Two other great tracks are 'Architects of Fear' and 'Shadowbound' but the rest didn't really hold up after repetitive spins.

The production is pretty good but honestly I think the vocal part is probably the weakest link here. Not really that bad but it's just too average and almost anybody can replace his spot. With probably 3-4 gems here, this album is risky of wearing thin quickly, but I admire how the twin guitar works effectively, like in 'The Accuser', the riffs are incinerating and ready to set ablaze a whole city. Pretty good album!

Kingcrimsonprog Savage Messiah are a British Metal Band and their third album, Plague Of Consciousness was released on Earache records in 2012, you can get a physical copy or if you like, the band let you download it digitally for free on Earache's website.

Savage Messiah's sound is a modern interpretation of Thrash Metal, although its hard to explain what that is correctly. It is not a regressive but fun carbon copy of 1980s tones and riffs like Gama Bomb and Municipal Waste play it, and it is not in the Metalcore fused mixture with which bands like Trivium and Shadows Fall play it either.

They are a bit technical and rhythmic, not given to writing short songs, and they do have a slightly Melodeath and Power Metal sound at different times, but the overall sound is Thrash. Thrash, with a really varied range of vocal styles, from Mustaine-esque snarls to Halford-shrieks, throaty shouts and even melodic singing.

Consider, if you have heard them, Exodus's Rob Dukes era albums, Testament's last two studio albums and Megadeath's recent output only without any gang-chanting backing vocals used. Then imagine what Arch Enemy would sound like if they used more of the types of scales and notes that American bands use and less of the ones that Continental European bands favour. Try and mix all those things up in your head, and that should give you a vague idea.

If any of that sounds appealing to you then I recommend that you check out the album. It is a really well-written, well-produced and well-performed modern album with a lot of variety, good riffs, talented vocals and an absolute tonne of brilliant virtuosic lead guitar work. I'd wager you are never more than thirty seconds away from a really impressive guitar solo or lead-break.

No matter if you like twin guitar harmonies, slayer-style wailing or impressive shred then you should still love this album, because they mix all of those styles and do each well.

Highlights include the proggy `Architects Of Fear,' as well as `All Seeing Eye' and the thrashy `Carnival Of Souls.'

Overall, if you are into any of the aforementioned bands or styles, and want to listen to a perfectly crafted and musically impressive modern metal album then I would absolutely recommend Savage Messiah's Plague Of Conscience.