Meliah Rage - Warrior (2014)

I assume at this point everyone who ever suspected Meliah Rage was just some 80s flash in the pan with a few near misses at success (via the CBS/Epic Records deal for their first two records), has now planted their moccasins firmly in their mouths; because the Boston area band has shown no signs of passing quietly into oblivion, and continues to build a solid legacy upon its great debut album. Not to mention they play a brand of what we might label 'power/thrash' that is by no means trendy, popular, or even considered relevant by generations to which metalcore, deathcore, brutal death, black metal and cheesy anthemic power metal have become the standard by which nearly everything else is judged. In fact, despite the more modern, opulent production values most bands simply can't avoid, Meliah Rage still sounds quite a lot like its earlier material, only they've gotten a fraction more varied and creative with their riffs.

The sound on Warrior, their eight full-length overall and second with Italy's Metal on Metal records, is somewhat akin to Metallica's Death Magnetic: guys in their middle years performing ball splitting, loud proto-thrash riffs rooted heavily in the NWOBHM tradition, with a bit of requisite hard rock groove and a predilection for cleaner guitar segues to balance out the harder hitting moments. It's this enormous, pounding, simplistic sort of songwriting we don't hear very often from younger bands, but at the same time melodic and emotive. Of course, even their first album was compared to that hugest metal band in history, which is perhaps partially responsible for why they never made headway with it (it didn't have the immaculate songwriting of a Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets), but when you look at the big picture, not a lot of bands out there pursuing the style, and Meliah Rage prove here they are a match for any of them. I'm not saying the record is great, because so many of the rhythm guitar patterns fall well short of brilliance, but they at least try to pull them off in a way that is convincing, respectable and memorable enough that anyone partially/wholly stuck in the 80s mindset will not toss this one back on the slushpile without wanting a few more cracks at it.

The only major change between this and the style on the prior two outings (both of which were decent, so if you have fallen behind go check them out), is that they've brought on a new vocalist in Marc Lopes, who specializes in a cutting, sneering mid range which reminded me of the lower pitch used by legends like James Rivera, Mike Howe, David Wayne or Apocrypha's Steve Plocica. It's angry and effective, and doesn't deviate much from the Hetfield-like aesthetic introduced on the old albums by their 'classic' frontman Mike Munro. Bass lines are thick and simple, drums bold and crashing, but most people will probably be drawn most to the rhythm guitars which really evoke that sense of nostalgia and power we felt for the Big M and other bands following their footsteps. That's the area in which the Massholes are most divergent and willing to branch out, so we're treated to both the standard raging power/thrash momentum and then a lot of melodic hooks and lead structures that lend themselves to a balanced, fulfilling experience...provided you don't just write them off for not adhering to whatever sound is currently the hero of the hour, because let's be honest, Meliah Rage proudly champions not-giving-a-fuck about a sound that is heavily dated and not even popularly retro like a lot of other old speed, heavy and thrash metal.

Ultimately, Warrior, with the 1988 Kill to Survive battle-starved Native American mascot returned in an updated head shot, capitalizes on the solidarity of the two records before it while integrating a new vocalist that fits directly within the band's musical margins. It's not itself the stuff of legend like the cult classic debut, which I would heartily recommend over anything they've put out since, but this is an example of seasoned songwriting that won't disappoint the long-term fans despite the occasional clunky sounding riffs here or there, or the fact that even with 25+ years behind them, they can't even come close to escaping the shadow of the mega-band (in their prime) who they most resemble. But who in 2014 truly gives a shit about that besides nitpicking scum like myself? Here's an opportunity to bang your head before it gets scalped. If you've ever enjoyed Meliah Rage before, you might want to take it.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.meliahrage.com/

Meliah Rage - Dead to the World (2011)

It's a miracle that a band like Meliah Rage presses on in the face of all the current neo-thrash, especially when they hail from my own neck of the woods, suburban Massachusetts. The region is essentially a hotbed for trendy hardcore, slam death, metalcore, and grind sounds with only a handful of bands performing in the traditional molds of speed, heavy and thrash, so something like Dead to the World is practically a treat by default. That said, I have found the band's catalog inconsistent in the past. Kill to Survive was a classic in the vein of Metallica, Megadeth and Lääz Rockit, and one of New England's best all-time thrash records, but I lost interest in their material as early as Solitary Solitude, only to find a rekindling on their 2009 album Masquerade (through local imprint Screaming Ferret).

It wasn't amazing, but it was a dynamic slab of traditional Meliah Rage with plenty of solid writing, variation and hooks and choruses that made a steady attempt to grab the listener. Dead to the World follows in much the same vein, a thrasher at heart but incredibly lucid in its grasp of melodic and progressive aesthetics. Mike Munro, their great original vocalist, has stepped aside once more, and the band have brought back Paul Souza, who has a sharper and more melodic voice, which is distinctly less Hetfield. This guy has an inherent spin on his tone that often feels as if you were combining Munro or Hetfield with, say, Mike Patton. But remarkably, he fits in with the band's dynamics seamlessly, whether that's the moody ballad-gone-crusher "Absolute Obedience" or the more flighty, 90s Flotsam & Jetsam-like material like "Up In Flames", "Valley of the Shadowless Souls", and "Cold Cruel Fate".

The band has never been afraid to incorporate clean or acoustic guitars into its writing, and they are balanced throughout the album like a vein pulsing beneath a metal skin, hugely responsible for most of the albums emotional peaks and valleys. They'll often throw out a tiny element of funk or some outside influence, but the most refreshing feature of the album would be the presence of dual melodies which hearkens back to the Master of Puppets era of Metallica. As a huge proponent of that album, I'm always happy to hear successful assertions of the style. The vocal chorus parts are still workable here, even if they're not mind-numbingly immortal or catchy enough to stick on the conscience for long. In the end, Dead to the World is about flush with its direct predecessor in terms of quality. The singer is changed, the sound has expanded, but the band slogs on without abandoning that classical 80s tint which put them on the map in the first place.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.meliahrage.com/

Meliah Rage - Masquerade (2009)

Having grown up here in Massachusetts, a budding thrasher in the 80s, Meliah Rage and Wargasm are recognizable as the two local bands which managed to eek out major label deals in the 80s, the Golden Age of the genre. Both put out a decent debut album but dwindled into obscurity. Meliah Rage reformed years ago, and started to release new material, but it's not until now that they've managed to come close to matching their debut Kill to Survive.

Masquerade is the work of a mature thrash band content with the simpler days of yore, when a metal song was about writing some good riffs and lyrics and having subject material that isn't just "Thrash Metal _ _ _ _" or "We Came to Thrash" retro worship. If you're seeking technical thrash/speed, you're also not in the right place. These guys carve a big riff and rock it, beneath Mike Munro's very Hetfield-esque vocals. In fact, Metallica is a great reference for this band, because if you found yourself enjoying some of the slower, old school thrashing riffs on Death Magnetic, then you will likely enjoy this entire album. I also hear some early (i.e. 'good') Metal Church in the band's writing.

"Lost or Found" is an interesting track to open this record, with a melodic progressive leaning before the anthemic, charging verse rhythm. The song breaks into a slower acoustic segment and trotting arabesque riff which are quite nice. "Chosen" kicks off with some acoustics that recall old Metallica below some 'spoken word', then lifts into a nice melodic hook. "History Will Tell" and "Last Rites" are among the better pure thrash tracks on the album, and the band continues to add a slightly progressive touch to the album on "Hour Glass" and the title track.

Masquerade shapes up quite nicely, with a huge production to it that is the band's best to date. This is not a pure thrash/speed metal effort like their classic Kill to Survive, and that would remain my favorite (and one of the better New England metal albums of the 80s), but this is an effort sure to please their old time fans.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/meliahrage