Superchrist - Headbanger
Professor Black - Black09 - 2007
By George Grant
Bands that utilize comical lyrics walk a very fine line. Very easily a listener could be turned off by the light-hearted approach, and thats why the musical output by such bands is so important. Superchrist is one band that luckily is able to deliver great catchy metal with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Their new album Headbanger is a case where the albums title pretty much says it all.
Superchrist plays heavy metal in a traditional vein. The Judas Priest and Motorhead influences are painfully apparent in the bands sound. However, Superchrist also infuses a punk rock attitude, and this combination really does work well. Youll get great riffs that will have you headbanging in no time, and an aggression and speed that makes the record a fast listen. Dont mistake this punk influence as hardcore but rather bands on the more catchy side of the genre like Bad Religion. The opening Black is Beautiful is a great representation of what this band has to offer.
The real standout performance on the album is vocalist and bassist, Chris Black. His driving voice is an interesting marriage of Greg Graffin (Bad Religion) and Lemmy that is suited perfectly for the music. Also, the slight melodic touches he adds to his voice like in the chorus of Fuck like a Priest' are very infectious and only help to raise the enjoyment of the album. Without Chris Blacks unique vocals Superchrists sound could become redundant quickly.
As stated in the introduction, Superchrist does indeed cover some interesting and humorous topics. For instance, the already mentioned Fuck like a Priest is about child molestation from a priests perspective, and My Way is Law which is a nice song about being elected president only to commit mass genocide. If these topics dont fit into your definition of heavy metal then this record could be tough for you to get into. However, if you can get past the bands lyrical ideas youll see Headbanger as a great collection of catchy riffs that hark back to the glory days.
Official Superchrist Website
Official Professor Black Website
Professor Black - Black09 - 2007
By George Grant
Bands that utilize comical lyrics walk a very fine line. Very easily a listener could be turned off by the light-hearted approach, and thats why the musical output by such bands is so important. Superchrist is one band that luckily is able to deliver great catchy metal with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Their new album Headbanger is a case where the albums title pretty much says it all.
Superchrist plays heavy metal in a traditional vein. The Judas Priest and Motorhead influences are painfully apparent in the bands sound. However, Superchrist also infuses a punk rock attitude, and this combination really does work well. Youll get great riffs that will have you headbanging in no time, and an aggression and speed that makes the record a fast listen. Dont mistake this punk influence as hardcore but rather bands on the more catchy side of the genre like Bad Religion. The opening Black is Beautiful is a great representation of what this band has to offer.
The real standout performance on the album is vocalist and bassist, Chris Black. His driving voice is an interesting marriage of Greg Graffin (Bad Religion) and Lemmy that is suited perfectly for the music. Also, the slight melodic touches he adds to his voice like in the chorus of Fuck like a Priest' are very infectious and only help to raise the enjoyment of the album. Without Chris Blacks unique vocals Superchrists sound could become redundant quickly.
As stated in the introduction, Superchrist does indeed cover some interesting and humorous topics. For instance, the already mentioned Fuck like a Priest is about child molestation from a priests perspective, and My Way is Law which is a nice song about being elected president only to commit mass genocide. If these topics dont fit into your definition of heavy metal then this record could be tough for you to get into. However, if you can get past the bands lyrical ideas youll see Headbanger as a great collection of catchy riffs that hark back to the glory days.
Official Superchrist Website
Official Professor Black Website
