Devil Lee Rot-Metalizer
Witches Brew-BREW012-2004
By Josh Phillips
Devil Lee Rot is the solo project of, you guessed it, Devil Lee Rot(also known as Thomas Karlsson, vocalist in Pagan Rites and Autopsy Torment). Hailing from Sweden, the band creates an interesting mixture of traditional Heavy Metal and black metal vocals. Old school NWOBHM sounds meld with blackened terror to create a unique and pleasing take on the genre.
Beginning with the insanely catchy Pirates of Hell, Metalizer starts out with a bang and the tone is set for the rest of the release. Well hear plenty of melodic guitar pieces you cant help but enjoy, simple yet appropriate drumming and Devil Lee Rots screeching vocals beckoning all to chant along. This piece is the first of four new songs recorded for the album and leads into the title track. Metalizer is just a fun song displaying Heavy Metal at its core. If a track like this doesnt get you screaming METALIZER! or air-guitaring yourself into oblivion you might be in the wrong genre of music. Devils Diary is mid-paced and slows things down a bit, but doesnt lose any of what makes the faster songs great. Following is the last new song, Metal Whiplash and it again showcases excellent guitar work from J. Voltage and D. Slaughter, who also write much of the music. The next 9 songs are from previous albums, but are re-recorded and re-mastered for this release. The first two of these are in the vein of Devils Diary, with the second piece, Root of All Evil giving off an epic vibe reminding me of Rotting Christ. The bass duties on this album fall on J. Voltage and he performs well on both Metal Massacre and Black Denim and Church Burning. Vengeance From is a major highlight with one of my favorite vocal performances of the release and some driving riffs. The final two tracks, Soldiers from Hell and A New World Rising end Metalizer on a very solid note. Both are slower, more epic pieces, especially the closer. There are some very emotional guitar pieces sprinkled throughout and the vocals add to the atmosphere well. Again, the drumming by Bombarder completes the puzzle. Quite possibly the best cut on the album, A New World Rising end this opus on as strong a note as Pirates of Hell began it, bringing us full circle.
A solid block of metal, 51 minutes in length. It is well constructed, consistent and fun, Id recommend this album to anyone looking for a good metal release. So, grab your leather pants and denim jacket, strap on your bullet belt and raise the horns, Devil Lee Rot is here.
8.25/10
Official Devil Lee Rot Website
Official Witches Brew Website
Witches Brew-BREW012-2004
By Josh Phillips
Devil Lee Rot is the solo project of, you guessed it, Devil Lee Rot(also known as Thomas Karlsson, vocalist in Pagan Rites and Autopsy Torment). Hailing from Sweden, the band creates an interesting mixture of traditional Heavy Metal and black metal vocals. Old school NWOBHM sounds meld with blackened terror to create a unique and pleasing take on the genre.
Beginning with the insanely catchy Pirates of Hell, Metalizer starts out with a bang and the tone is set for the rest of the release. Well hear plenty of melodic guitar pieces you cant help but enjoy, simple yet appropriate drumming and Devil Lee Rots screeching vocals beckoning all to chant along. This piece is the first of four new songs recorded for the album and leads into the title track. Metalizer is just a fun song displaying Heavy Metal at its core. If a track like this doesnt get you screaming METALIZER! or air-guitaring yourself into oblivion you might be in the wrong genre of music. Devils Diary is mid-paced and slows things down a bit, but doesnt lose any of what makes the faster songs great. Following is the last new song, Metal Whiplash and it again showcases excellent guitar work from J. Voltage and D. Slaughter, who also write much of the music. The next 9 songs are from previous albums, but are re-recorded and re-mastered for this release. The first two of these are in the vein of Devils Diary, with the second piece, Root of All Evil giving off an epic vibe reminding me of Rotting Christ. The bass duties on this album fall on J. Voltage and he performs well on both Metal Massacre and Black Denim and Church Burning. Vengeance From is a major highlight with one of my favorite vocal performances of the release and some driving riffs. The final two tracks, Soldiers from Hell and A New World Rising end Metalizer on a very solid note. Both are slower, more epic pieces, especially the closer. There are some very emotional guitar pieces sprinkled throughout and the vocals add to the atmosphere well. Again, the drumming by Bombarder completes the puzzle. Quite possibly the best cut on the album, A New World Rising end this opus on as strong a note as Pirates of Hell began it, bringing us full circle.
A solid block of metal, 51 minutes in length. It is well constructed, consistent and fun, Id recommend this album to anyone looking for a good metal release. So, grab your leather pants and denim jacket, strap on your bullet belt and raise the horns, Devil Lee Rot is here.
8.25/10
Official Devil Lee Rot Website
Official Witches Brew Website
