Recommendation: X-Wild - Savageland

[Dark One]

Here's a real treat - heavy fucking metal at it's purest and most fun. The band name comes from the fact that the group was made up of ex-members of Running Wild, but don't let that throw you in the slightest. X-Wild combine elements of some of the catchiest traditional 80's styles (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar, Accept, etc.) for an old school, beer swigging, head banging experience. Raucous, yet focused, it's a shame these guys were never able to land a major label deal, having released three albums in Japan prior to disbanding for good in the mid 90's.

Savageland was the band's third and final release and is a fitting end to their brand of traditional metal. Rough n' tumble, yet clean vocals keep the in your face attitude flowing throughout, complemented by catchy, up-tempo riffs, catchier melodies & big choruses. What a refreshing "back to the roots" change of pace from all of the sub-genre laden releases of recent years. Sometimes you just need to get back to basics and have an old fashioned good time without having to think too much or worry about listening alone with a set of headphones in an attempt to absorb an album into your soul. Let this album do all the work while you hoist a few brews or just escape from a hard day.

Immensely appealing and consistent throughout, this should appeal to fans of practically all styles of heavy metal. It's about time I share it with some good friends of mine.

- Dark One

X-Wild - Savageland (1996)

1. Savageland (intro)
2. Braveheart
3. Savageland - http://download.yousendit.com/9C1D5CE158AC8F1C
4. Born for War - http://download.yousendit.com/D0867E86563BB8A5
5. Murder in Thy Name
6. Children of the Underground - http://download.yousendit.com/7BD9982E4EAD4C27
7. Dragonslair
8. Die Like a Man
9. Field of Blackbirds
10. Clash of the Titans - http://download.yousendit.com/2F5DAFF327E536E1
11. Hunting the Damned - http://download.yousendit.com/AF948C7C64913AB1
12. Chaos Ends

 

[EricT]

Holy shit! This is fucking AWESOME! I love this actually. These songs require no second listen at this point... I must purchase this now.

Best reco yet!

Edit: Being the huge fan of Running Wild I am (Yarrr!), I am suprised this is the first I have heard of them.

 

[Krilons Resa]

this sounds like it could be right up my alley, and by alley I mean bunghole.

Dl'ing.

 

[Krilons Resa]

this sounds like it could be right up my alley, and by alley I mean bunghole.

Dl'ing.

It has potential, but it goes wrong somewhere. I only listened to a couple of the mso far though and only oncce so....take it for what its worth. Ill listen more later/manana.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

It is a good album, but in the end just a poor man's Running Wild. If they had another name, and maybe a more personal sound, they would be a bigger name.

Sometimes you just need to get back to basics and have an old fashioned good time without having to think too much or worry about listening alone with a set of headphones in an attempt to absorb an album into your soul.

That's what you have to do most of the time actually.

 

[Dark One]

but in the end just a poor man's Running Wild

Couldn't disagree more, I absolutely do not hear a second rate Running Wild when listening to these guys at all. I don't even hear a "first rate" Running Wild.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Oh come on...all the melodies/riffing are almost identical to RW..of course they have the same influences, but the ideas are put out just like RW did.

 

[Dark One]

If I listen to Black Hand Inn followed by Savageland, I don't think it's the same band. Sorry. Influences? Sure. Execution? No. It just seems bolder to me.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Yes but RW are not only "Black Hand Inn" and i was talking about "Death Or Glory" and "Blazon Stone" RW basically.

 

[Dark One]

That's actually my favorite RW era. If you really feel Savageland is a lesser companion piece to those albums, at least I can see why I enjoy Savageland so much.

 

[Krilons Resa]

Gates To Purgatory ftw!

 

[General Zod]

Judging by the description, I thought this would be something that wouldn't really strike a chord with me. I find that I listen to very little of what I listened to in the 80s. I also find, I have even less interest in unearthing bands that I missed out on in the 80s. However, I found "Born for War" to be a real cool track. The other songs were solid. Had I heard this disc ten years ago, I'd probably be all over it.

Zod

 

[Dark One]

That's what you have to do most of the time actually.

BTW, I missed this little condescending comment the first time around. That statement was meant to be a reflection on how it seems more often than not it takes a long time to absorb a new album in these days of sub-genres upon sub-genres. It's a helluva a lot easier to take in this album than it is the new Deathspell Omega. Barring the evolution of taste over time, you pretty much know after one listen of X-Wild whether or not it appeals to you. That's what the commentary was based on.

 

[JayKeeley]

Listened to first 60 seconds of Savage Land to 'test the water'....proceeding to download the rest of the samples.

First minute into the first track and I'm hooked. Love the vocals.

OK so "Savageland" is a GREAT song. So much so that I found myself on eBay hunting this album down, in the hope that the entire album was equally good...

...by the time "Born for War" came on, I thought it was good but not as great as the titletrack (just too repetitive).....

...."Children of the Underground"....is it me or does this sound like something out of the British Invasion or maybe a little PINK FLOYD'ish, what with the kids choir et al, not bad but sounds a little 'filler'.....

....."Clash of the Titans", well you can't go wrong with straight up metal. It's good, definitely a little dated, but good....

...."Hunting the Damned", this is very cool....you know this song has a chorus written for big crowd participation.

I like the vocals on these songs, it's almost as if you have a 70's classic rock vocalist doing metal and it works well, and "Savageland" is the best song with "Hunting the Damned" a close second. I'm going to spin these a few more times and see if the others grow on me a little more.

np: "Savageland" Man, someone needs to release this on a 7" 'cos this is a standout song!

 

[JayKeeley]

Did I say Savageland = ?

 

[Dark One]

I think the whole album's just as catchy, but yeah, I love that song. Born for War FTW though, easy metal at it's finest.