MP aka Metal Priests were an obscure heavy metal band formed in Germany at 1986. Later on same year they released their first full length album Bursting Out – eventually releasing three more albums after the debut at 1987 (Get It Now), 1988 (Showdown) and 1992 (Melting Point under changed band name “Melting Point”).
What we have here is quite damn straightforward set of heavy rocking songs, with a good dose of energy. Perhaps a record not to be taken too seriously. Bursting Out is cheesy, simple, dirty and yet kind of a record that is fun to listen to, occasionally. MP sound a bit like their country mates Noisehunter but being more rocking and dirtier – perhaps being even closer to their other country mates Tyrant featuring similar just-for-fun-roughness. There is similar snottiness and roughness in their sound than featured with Tyrant as well as similar streed-ready rocking attitude. Even the singer is almost same caliber with over-the-top striking hoarse vocal delivery, similar to Tyrant’s singer Kerrmit, but with occasional higher pitch in the voice. This makes vocals tend to sound a bit whiny even (slight complaint) time to time, and I could well understand some people getting ear-bleeds of the singer. Crossfire from Belgium also comes quite close style wise. Take the most straight forward riffs from Judas Priest and Accept, and add over-the-top German hoarse voiced vocalist on top of it, and you get pretty close to the end result what Metal Priests sound like. Even though the album has very hard rock'ish edge, it has certain level of heaviness in it's sound and manages to sound quite strong and raw. Sadly, instrument playing skills and average-but-tolerable vocalist don't manage to raise MP into the higher level.
The material varies between safe mid-fast tempo rockers and a few speedier moments. Overall the album is perhaps sailing on a bit too “safe waters” with no much surprises on it's sleeve – just regular German in your face eighties heavy metal with hard rocking edge. The choruses are basic and made to shout along with. Strong and crispy power chord riffage is all over the place and lead guitar melodies are kept to minimum – however guitar solos are decently good and fluent and stand out when played. Stomping mid-fast drumming and audible bass are also trademarks throughout the album.
As a highlights I’d pick the title track 'Bursting Out' which is totally in your face speed metal song with nice lead guitar shredding and strong palm muted riffing. It’s just full of energy and chorus makes you want to shout out loud simple chorus “Bursting, bursting! (Bursting Out!)”. MP (Metal Priests) is another one with mid-fast tempo, smashing drums and very simple but working power chord mania driving it forward. There’s just irresistible dirty groove in this song. Heavy slower stompers with massive drum pound – Startide Rising and Out For Love – work out well enough to keep the album decently good. The rest of the songs are pretty much more of the same but not as great as these tracks.
This album is nice to crank up while driving on highway and would as well to fit to some beer-party. There’s quite strong uplifting general feeling in the album. It's generic with it's riffs and lyrics (especially simple shout-along choruses) but some songs are just irresistible - you can not be without headbanging to them. Quite enjoyable in-your-face rocking heavy metal album from massive German touch on it's sound – recommended for anyone who like bands like Tyrant (GER) and Crossfire (BEL) and dirty rocking German sound in general. In my opinion Bursting Out is very well up to par with best releases from those two bands, but that's not to say that Germany and Belgium didn't feature tons of bands sounding a bit like MP on this album, delivering their material on the similar level of quality: Tyrant, Crossfire, Noisehunter, Vampyr, Railway, Cutty Sark... the list goes on.
Not mind blowing but enjoyable album from a band with rather average playing talent and quite good sound quality. Their playing style is seriously not reinventing the wheel, but MP does have their own touch in their sound which makes them easily recognizable. This album is easy to get into (unless you dislike the hoarse high pitched vocals featured in the album, that may make some ears bleed, depending of what you prefer), but it's also rather easy to forget as it's really 'even' delivery though and trough, on rather average level. That being said, it's uplifting features, fine sound quality, and songs such as "Bursting Out", "Out For Love", and "MP (Metal Priests)" are good songs, raising the album just slight above average level release. There's something called little magic in this rather bit generic album, however, that brings me back time to time to listen it...
-www.kultmetal.com | reviewer: dungeoncrawler
For Collectors:
(Following prices have raised since ’99 but will give you direction - my bet is you can double them up)
Used album price @ Martin Popoff’s Heavy Metal Record Price Guide (1999):
-Sorry, not listed in the book-
What we have here is quite damn straightforward set of heavy rocking songs, with a good dose of energy. Perhaps a record not to be taken too seriously. Bursting Out is cheesy, simple, dirty and yet kind of a record that is fun to listen to, occasionally. MP sound a bit like their country mates Noisehunter but being more rocking and dirtier – perhaps being even closer to their other country mates Tyrant featuring similar just-for-fun-roughness. There is similar snottiness and roughness in their sound than featured with Tyrant as well as similar streed-ready rocking attitude. Even the singer is almost same caliber with over-the-top striking hoarse vocal delivery, similar to Tyrant’s singer Kerrmit, but with occasional higher pitch in the voice. This makes vocals tend to sound a bit whiny even (slight complaint) time to time, and I could well understand some people getting ear-bleeds of the singer. Crossfire from Belgium also comes quite close style wise. Take the most straight forward riffs from Judas Priest and Accept, and add over-the-top German hoarse voiced vocalist on top of it, and you get pretty close to the end result what Metal Priests sound like. Even though the album has very hard rock'ish edge, it has certain level of heaviness in it's sound and manages to sound quite strong and raw. Sadly, instrument playing skills and average-but-tolerable vocalist don't manage to raise MP into the higher level.
The material varies between safe mid-fast tempo rockers and a few speedier moments. Overall the album is perhaps sailing on a bit too “safe waters” with no much surprises on it's sleeve – just regular German in your face eighties heavy metal with hard rocking edge. The choruses are basic and made to shout along with. Strong and crispy power chord riffage is all over the place and lead guitar melodies are kept to minimum – however guitar solos are decently good and fluent and stand out when played. Stomping mid-fast drumming and audible bass are also trademarks throughout the album.
As a highlights I’d pick the title track 'Bursting Out' which is totally in your face speed metal song with nice lead guitar shredding and strong palm muted riffing. It’s just full of energy and chorus makes you want to shout out loud simple chorus “Bursting, bursting! (Bursting Out!)”. MP (Metal Priests) is another one with mid-fast tempo, smashing drums and very simple but working power chord mania driving it forward. There’s just irresistible dirty groove in this song. Heavy slower stompers with massive drum pound – Startide Rising and Out For Love – work out well enough to keep the album decently good. The rest of the songs are pretty much more of the same but not as great as these tracks.
This album is nice to crank up while driving on highway and would as well to fit to some beer-party. There’s quite strong uplifting general feeling in the album. It's generic with it's riffs and lyrics (especially simple shout-along choruses) but some songs are just irresistible - you can not be without headbanging to them. Quite enjoyable in-your-face rocking heavy metal album from massive German touch on it's sound – recommended for anyone who like bands like Tyrant (GER) and Crossfire (BEL) and dirty rocking German sound in general. In my opinion Bursting Out is very well up to par with best releases from those two bands, but that's not to say that Germany and Belgium didn't feature tons of bands sounding a bit like MP on this album, delivering their material on the similar level of quality: Tyrant, Crossfire, Noisehunter, Vampyr, Railway, Cutty Sark... the list goes on.
Not mind blowing but enjoyable album from a band with rather average playing talent and quite good sound quality. Their playing style is seriously not reinventing the wheel, but MP does have their own touch in their sound which makes them easily recognizable. This album is easy to get into (unless you dislike the hoarse high pitched vocals featured in the album, that may make some ears bleed, depending of what you prefer), but it's also rather easy to forget as it's really 'even' delivery though and trough, on rather average level. That being said, it's uplifting features, fine sound quality, and songs such as "Bursting Out", "Out For Love", and "MP (Metal Priests)" are good songs, raising the album just slight above average level release. There's something called little magic in this rather bit generic album, however, that brings me back time to time to listen it...
| 70 |
-www.kultmetal.com | reviewer: dungeoncrawler
(Not available through Amazon.com - you can however get the Live CD instead featuring many songs from Bursting Out)
- Thomas Zeller - Vocals, Bass
- Thomas Schneider - Drums, Backing Vocals
- Andy Wolk - Guitars, Backing Vocals
- 1. Bursting Out 03:29
- 2. MP (Metal Priests) 02:44
- 3. Startide Rising 03:54
- 4. Pyromania 03:11
- 5. Out for Love 04:17
- 6. On the Loose Again 03:39
- 7. Fight For Your Life 04:22
- 8. Hellglow 02:00
- 9. No More Heroes 02:36
- 10. World of Tears 04:36
- Total running time 34:48
For Collectors:
(Following prices have raised since ’99 but will give you direction - my bet is you can double them up)
Used album price @ Martin Popoff’s Heavy Metal Record Price Guide (1999):
-Sorry, not listed in the book-
No comments:
Post a Comment