COLTRE
COLTRE “To Watch With Hands, To Touch With Eyes”
By Dr. Abner Mality
For my money, Germany’s Dying Victims Productions is one of the best and most underrated labels out there. They don’t seem to specialize in any one particular style, but all of their releases are METAL through and through and they have an unerring ear for quality material.
The latest DV discovery is London’s COLTRE. This band sounds like they just stepped out of a TARDIS from 1982 and the peak of the NWOBHM movement. I don’t know when I’ve last heard a NWOBHM influenced band as authentic as this. They are perfectly suspended at the midpoint between 70’s hard rock and 80’s power metal, with just the right combination of aggression and catchy melody. Even vocalist Marco Starminga has that blunt, reedy singing voice that was so prevalent back then. COLTRE brings to mind several of the greats of the period, but ANGELWITCH, DIAMOND HEAD and obscurities like SPARTAN WARRIOR and CRUCIFIXION pop up easily. They could easily be contemporaries.
“Feast of the Outcast” hits with a riff-storm, not even bothering with vocals until half way through the track. “To Watch With Hands” has more of that patented gallop but mixes it with moodier, more unpredictable touches...the faint traces of prog that were always present in the NWOBHM. The top tracks here are the excellent “Friends Aren’t Electric”, a riffy take on an old TUBEWAY ARMY cut, and the blazing “Temptress”, which is some awesome proto speed metal that burns like fire. In contrast, the album ends with the doomy ballad “Oblivion”, which relates to classic METALLICA weepers. It’s actually pretty strong.
Another winner for Dying Victims here with COLTRE. Fans of the NWOBHM simply can’t miss this one!