SHOTGUN MESSIAH
"Second
Coming" (Combat; 1991)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
Since the 80s produced more metal acts than anyone can remember, it stands to reason that when the bullet train of talent ran
off the track the only riders left were the ones who forgot to get off at the first
sign of possible derailment. Shotgun Messiah, although clearly not void of talent, really never got the kudos they
deserved ... and nobody asked for their ticket either. My guitar buddy Marty gave me this CD because apparently I missed this release back in 1991.
The disc starts off with a cliché song titled “Sexdrugsrock’n’roll” and,
back in the day, the first song was your starting cannon. If nobody ran with your disc to the next relay person then you might as well fling this thing into the nearest bum-covered dumpster.
After their stale start things do start to pick up. Tim Skold
(who has the umlaut over the “o” in his name), is a great vocalist. He doesn’t just scream like a cat for his supper like so many hair metal goofs did. He’s got some
serious pipes and his unconventional style might have dismissed his band from a much needed
head-bang by fans. Skold is currently the guitarist for Marilyn Manson.
The guitar player here really rips up the record with some lightning fast solos. His style,
however, sounds like every guitar player that ever wanted to be Eddie Van Halen and had to settle for being the copy of a copy of whoever ruled at the time. His chops are good and having a Swedish home base proves he knew what heavy metal was.
He contributed all he had for this outing.
The music doesn’t really shine better than anything produced during the hair metal years and sometimes you wonder why
some bands made it and others didn’t. Skold had the hair and their drummer's name was Stixx
Galore -- maybe the gimmick was too much. Either way, they left a small keloid on the heavy metal world.
The best shotgun blasts are “Heartbreak Blvd,” “Trouble,” and “Can’t Fool Me.”
Shotgun Messiah is: Tim Skold – vocals; Harry K. Cody – guitar; Bobby Lycon – bass; Stixx Galore – drums.
For more information, check out http://www.ts-sychophant.net.
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.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 28 Oct 2024 11:25:47 -0500.
