Monday, March 8, 2021

DURBIN: "The Beast Awakens"

Rating: RR
Label: Frontiers 2021
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Gunning for Heavy Metal glory with faulty aim? The Beast Awakens may keep you up all night in search for the missing ingredient. It's one of those pure Heavy Metal albums which one really should enjoy, but you end up somehow feeling disappointed. Durbin, not to be confused with Turbin, the recent Quiet Riot singer and according to the bio, also fourth in the 10th season of American Idol?? We wouldnt know since we really don't watch that kind of rubbish. TV is mainly football and the occasional thriller and we might even flick through the Scooby Doo's. Where are you?

Anyhow. Crunchy but oh-so typical and standard powerchords fly all over the place here, and one of the idle idol's main sources of inspiration would appear to be Judas Priest, Manowar, and basic meat and potato American Metal of the 80s. There's a couple of amusing titles such as 'Calling Out For Midnight', I suppose, instead of 'Living After' the same time at night? and the ever so lively viking tribute of 'Rise To Valhalla'. Why should the American bother to type down lyric about Norse religion when you have all the superb Native American culture right outside your doorstep? Oh, that's right, you don't really know or care about the natives, do ya?

"I am awakened," says James Durbin. "The opportunity to begin to write the next chapter of my musical life with Frontiers has given me the creative recharge I've needed. We are establishing the musical direction I've been envisioning in my head for all these years and I'm so happy to have finally found a home for it." Make no mistake. America produces what seems limitless amounts of top-notch rock artists and bands every year, so it probably exist an even larger amount of bog average records. The Prince of metal? I don't think so, I'm all out of coffee and wit for that matter. Final Verdict: Great vocalist, not-so great songmaterial. Back to the drawing board.

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