ART OF SHOCK
ART OF SHOCK - “Shine Black Light”
By Iron Sheik
Checking in from LA, CA. is ART OF SHOCK with their second offering, “Shine Black Light”. Can we say heavy thrash metal? This is not necessarily a band in 23 trying to relive the 80s metal scene as they are too across the board to have fit in then... but then again maybe they would have. Moreover they are an amalgamation of thrash and power metal from the 80s and 90s.
We are pummeled almost to death with the first track, “2020V”. A thrasher that sets a false stage for what follows which actually turns out to be a cool left turn, “Drag Me To Hell”. It is quite an epic mellow and heavy tune with piano sounding really familiar yet fresh, and it would probably do good on the radio. Thrash returns with “Be The None Wiser”. "Say my name...666."...a little touch of evil there.
“You Don't Know Me” starts with a mellow almost strained small voice singing. Jon Oliva comes to mind. I will give them credit as I do hear snippets of SAVATAGE at times during the whole album yet more so with this song.
The track “Shine Black Light” is midtempo, almost power metal, stomper with metalcore touches. “The Spark” amps up the music again going back into thrash mode. Next track, “The Defeated”, closes the album. At times Savatage sounding again yet getting a thrash groove going too. Odd, diverse and kickass is how this album left me thinking of it.
All in all “Shine Black Light" is an interesting listen. It covers various styles with sometimes a Savatage-gone-thrash sound. I was kind of off-put by the album cover, but again I was proven wrong. I have a feeling these guys have tapped into a diverse sound that will make their music still sound excellent years from now. It certainly sounds excellent now, and this album is a worthwhile addition to any metalhead's collection.