Superchrist "Heavy Metal Tonight" CD
[Bestial Onslaught]
I've never heard of these guys before, and I basically have no interest in live material whatsoever, so I'd far rather check out some studio material from this band, but for a live record this isn't bad at all. Recorded live in Chicago on May 2, 2004, included are 13 tracks of fist in the air, spit in your face heavy fuckin' metal. Think Motörhead as far has it having that punk rock sort of vibe to the material, though here the vocals are definitely not as throaty as Lemmy's (though similar in delivery and arrangement, for sure). The songs are catchy as shit, though. I don't care for most of the lyrics at all (with song titles like "Stand Up and Shit" you probably get the picture), but I can appreciate their sense of humor since this is basic, fun, classic heavy metal - plus they write killer songs and seem to have a really good attitude about this shit - as evidenced by their demeanor between tracks on the disc. This is just good material. Simple rocked out power chords and energetic late-70's/early-80's metal riffs, memorable choruses, pounding basslines often emphasized during certain intros or breakdowns, straightforward lead bursts with a little bluesy fire, etc. I hate to compare them so closely, but pound for pound Motörhead is a god damn good gauge for what you're in for here. I'd maybe toss in a smidge of Kiss' finer moments as well just for a little kick at times, but... Motörhead... yeah, these guys definitely seem to be huge admirers of that classic sound. The songs do tend to sound fairly similar to one another, with only a few distinct standouts (ironically the standouts are rarely the finer moments) such as the slightly slower and more melodic (vocally) "Favorite Child of a Lesser God", but it's no big deal. It delivers right in line with what a band of this nature should. The sound is damn fuckin' nice for a live disc, too. I've heard studio affairs that sound far worse. Dry? Rough? Sure. But it's live, fuck it. You can hear all of the instruments and nothing is overpowering, there's not a great deal of disruptive noise from the crowd (it's there, but not in large quantity), and it fits their shtick well. I like it. The layout's alright, with images of lightning striking a church and such. Nothing special but I've seen much worse. The lyrics are actually included, but I'm not interested in that with this one, as mentioned. It's all smartass humor and kitschy rock stuff or whatever that doesn't do much for me at all, but that's just me. This is a fun listen, though. I'd much rather get a taste of their studio work because live records annoy me, that's just a fact, but... these guys are good at what they do, definitely. I'll look out for more from 'em. (6/10)
Running time - 40:27, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: Aim Low, Strangers in the Night, Fuck You Twice]
Bestial Onslaught Productions - http://www.bestialonslaught.com

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