Rain - "Dad is Dead" - reviews

[Bard F]

http://www.massmovement.co.uk/wordpress/?p=6811

While I’m a bit confused about both the name of the band and the name of the record, I suppose that I can’t help but offer forgiveness since Italian is the language of these lads’ birth, and maybe it all makes sense when translated from English. But the music is the point, and Rain certainly makes their collective point: true metal will never die. Fans of metal—real metal, actual heavy metal, with no excuses, no apologies, no gimmicks, no cross-genrefication—will find plenty to love about this record. The sound is huge, all sharp riffs and squeal-filled solos, thumping beats and rollicking rhythms, big choruses and powerful vocals. Aging metalheads like myself—those of us with collections that include heavy doses of Accept, Loudness, Judas Priest, TT Quick, Armored Saint, Skid Row, Lillian Axe, Sound Barrier, Riot, TNT, et al—are the target audience, and I, for one, have already placed this disc in my ‘be sure to rock this sonuvabitch at least once a week until the apocalypse destroys all of humanity’ pile.

The Impaler

 

[Bard F]

http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=102768

You can’t say that there’s anything especially original or unique here. That said, this disc is just some killer metal that’s a bit rough around the edges (in a nice way). Despite the lack of variety, it never feels old or tired or monolithic at all. This is just some good old fashioned hard rocking metal.

Track by Track Review

8 Bar
This is a smoking hot metal tune that’s got an epic metal element to it along with a more raw rock and roll sound.
Blind Fury
They don’t really change things up a lot here, but this is fiery. With a title like “Blind Fury,” though, what did you expect?
Mr. 2 Words
This is much meaner. It’s not a huge change, but it’s a meaner piece of music.
Love In The Back
Another raw rocker, they don’t change anything much here.
Rain Are Us
I wouldn’t call this melodic, but it is more melodic.
Red Kiss
Anthemic and a little punky, this is also a killer metal jam.
The Party
This reminds me of a more metal early Van Halen.
Last Friday
Here they remind me a lot of early Iron Maiden. It’s another scorcher. It’s got some melodic music in its midst and they show no signs of getting boring.
Dad Is Dead
Here we get more no frills metal. This is good and the formula is showing no signs of wearing thin despite its lack of variety. The guitar solo on this is particularly cool.
Swan Tears
One of the most raw tracks on show, the chorus is still catchy. Part of this makes me think of Kiss.
The Reason
This isn’t all that special, just more of the same. All that said, this isn’t getting boring at all.
Bang Bus
Wow, this one’s cool. It’s got a very raw old school rock meets metal element to it.
Rain
Somehow, this reminds me of the metal era of Alice Cooper quite a bit. It’s another good, but not necessarily great, song. The chorus is quite cool, though.

Review by Gary Hill

 

[Bard F]

http://www.massmovement.co.uk/wordpress/?p=7180

Well, can’t forgive these Italians for not forgetting the rock! Just the first minute of track one on this fifty six minute headbanger reminds me of Maiden’s Aces High, Blaze Bayley, AC/DC, Accept and Yngwie Malmsteen. And so Rain continue throughout as if 80’s Heavy Metal never went out of fashion, and it seem they’re old enough to remember it the first time round, which would explain the deft mastery of the craft and their instruments. The trouble with it though is that however expertly delivered the unfortunately named Dad Is Dead is, it doesn’t give you anything you haven’t heard before. Now that doesn’t bother me when I’m listening to good Thrash or Doom, while it does when I’m listening to bloody Metalcore, so let’s face it, it’s horses for courses and I know a few old rockers and hair Metal types that’d love this. I wouldn’t be surprised to see these guys opening up on the Wacken’s and Bloodstock’s of the world, because that’s where their audience is, and they’ve already supported the likes of Schenker, Rage and Helstar. Recommended for any and all old skool Rockers that like their music delivered with a large Jack and Coke.

Chest Rockwell

 

[Bard F]

http://www.metallian.com/rain.php

Why this 2008 album has just reached Metallian Towers is a matter of speculation, but fact is it might as well have taken 20 years to get here, not two! Rain’s sound and style if more 1988 than 2008 and no wonder the Italian band is a child of the ‘80s.
The album is straight-laced heavy metal with nods to Judas Priest, Guns ‘N Roses and Jackyl. The cover sticker calls the whole performance metal and dirty rock ‘n roll and most of it is true, although the Italian veterans are not likely copying and stealing. They are channelling their influences and keeping the metal true. The sound is strong and the cover artwork looks like it is raining blood, but the album name is cheesy and trite. Much much worse is the even cheesier presence of a cover version of The Cult’s song, Rain. Gods of originality awaken! Rain covers Rain. Rain does a cover version. That is an automatic ten-point deduction right there.
Otherwise, this is a long full-length full of real metal riffing, soloing and a singer who wails prominently. He does so clearly partly thanks to the production, which favours the vocals over the instruments. Hear the album for great metal riffs on 8 Bar, Mr. 2 Words and Rain Are Us (more cheese in the title). The Party is one instance where the band goes Jackyl, while singer Francesco Grandi does Jesse James Dupree. Mr. 2 Words is Welcome To The Jungle, while the group’s promo shot might as well be a leather jacket and boots commercial. Poor cows/so metal!

Rate: 70/100
Ali “The Metallian”