BLACKLYST
"Liars,
Killers and Master Thieves" (Demo; 1991)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Blacklyst's "Liars, Killers and Master Thieves" was recorded in 1991 and sounds like it was recorded in the middle of the '80s heyday of power/true metal. It's easy to slip into hyperbole in remembrance of the classic metal days of yore, but Blacklyst deliver the goods in a way that hasn't been done in a long time.
Listening to "Liars, Killers and Master Thieves" was an interesting experience as I had pretty much spent all my time prior to listening to and reviewing it by filling my days with the sounds of Haste, Poison The Well, and other emo and metalcore bands. So it goes without saying that Blacklyst was a serious trip back in time -- and a refreshing, rewarding trip at that.
Blacklyst's songs are stretched out to near epic length, not unlike what Iron Maiden has always done. All of the band's nine songs are fully adorned with solid riffs, decent songwriting, and blistering guitar solos to top it all off. However, on one song, Blacklyst slips into a late '80s pop-metal near-ballad sound which, while a good song in its own right, seems out-of-place for what is consistently an above-average effort.
Fans of fist pumping '80s metal such as Judas Priest and classic metal rockers Vyndykator will appreciate Blacklyst's "Liars, Killers and Master Thieves." "Liars, Killers and Master Thieves" was produced in the true '80s metal style with the big sounding drums supporting the crisp, mid-range guitars and bass.
Blacklyst will re-release "Liars, Killers, and Master Thieves" in January 2004 with 3 bonus tracks. The band will begin touring in January 2004 in support of the revamped "Liars, Killers and Master Thieves" and will begin recording their follow-up album for Iron Glory Records in May 2004.
Blacklyst: Rick Wijs on vocals, Adrian "Marshall" Neuendorf on guitar and vocals, Jimi Angel on guitars, Mark Schwenk on bass and vocals, and Eric Wedow on drums.
For more information visit http://www.blacklyst.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the
cover makes you wanna hurl.
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Revised: 16 Feb 2020 16:51:56 -0500.
