I don’t understand why American thrashers LAZARUS A.D. are being slammed by so many critics for the slightly more ‘grown up’ musical direction they have taken with 2011’s “Black Rivers Flow”, the new Metal Blade Records follow-up to 2009’s critically acclaimed The Onslaught, because I think it simply kicks ass. The opener “American Dreams ” is a head banging delight, and has got everything you could ever need and literally made my jaw drop when I first heard it. The song properly rampages along with a killer old school Metallica-sounding riff/chorus… how could a true metal head not love this? It kicks ass all over anything they did on their debut… and guess what? It’s only the first track! What in the hell are all the critics of this album doing? Smoking crack cocaine?!
Producer Chris Wisco, along with James Murphy of Safehouse Productions, who again handled mixing and mastering duties, has crafted what I feel is the early front runner for best Heavy Metal album of 2011. Brutal, brutal, brutal… and then just when you think you’ve returned back to your senses… another one of Lazarus A.D.’s sick ass monster metal riffs kicks you in the side of the head. Vocalist/bassist Jeff Paulick – for me – is the standout this time around, whereas on their debut, the surrounding Dan Gapen and Alex Lackner on guitars with Ryan Shutler on drums – were the overwhelming MVP’s. Track two’s “The Ultimate Sacrifice” brought me to an ever higher level of respect for these youngsters. The Pantera-like riff that’s employed all throughout this shit-kicker would make Dimebag proud and will knock out even the toughest to impress. You know an album is incredible when you’ve already hit replay ten times and that’s just between the first two songs. Track three’s “The Strong Prevail” – believe it or not – is even better than the first two combined.
The album’s title track does not disappoint either. “Black Rivers Flow” offers the record’s best chorus by a mile and is one of the things I feel they were lacking in their debut: a memorable chorus. They have done it with this bad boy and I salute them wholeheartedly for their accomplishment. The problem with most young metal bands today is that they lack originality in songwriting. They may sound like a good Slayer or Pantera clone, but for me, ninety nine percent of the time it’s the same lame, predictable song structure that loses me. Point blank, with Lazarus A.D. you are getting the real deal. This is quite possibly the most important metal band to break in the past couple of years, and I know they are only going to get better, more advanced and even more fierce. My advice to all of you is that you start paying closer attention to them before later on you look like the dork on the block who is now just jumping on the bandwagon after the fact.
ROCKET REVIEW:[starreview tpl=16]
LAZARUS A.D. – “Black Rivers Flow” (CD)
(Metal Blade Records/2011)
1. American Dreams
2. The Ultimate Sacrifice
3. The Strong Prevail
4. Black Rivers Flow
5. Casting Forward
6. Light a City (Up in Smoke)
7. Through Your Eyes
8. Beneath the Waves of Hatred
9. Eternal Vengeance
http://lazarusad.com/
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