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KATE'S ACID "Hellbender"
KATE'S ACID "Hellbender"
By Dr. Abner Mality
After Belgium's CYCLONE returned to action recently, it's no surprise that their country(wo)men ACID are also back for the attack. ACID were one of the very first female fronted metal bands, along with WARLOCK, and they played a fast and rough kind of "biker metal" that was pretty heavy for the time. Now Kate de Lombaert, the original voice of ACID, returns with an all new band of guys at least half her age. Horns up for the metal grandma!
This is a real trip back to early 80's metal, courtesy of a band who was there. First things first, Kate sounds absolutely great throughout! Her voice is just as clear and powerful as it was 40 years ago, if not more!. Nobody who remembers her from the old days will be disappointed here. The production is significantly better than any of their old stuff like "Maniac".Guitar sound is crisp and sharp. As for the music, it has that "ACCEPT gone speed" sound down pat, mixed with some of that bluesy biker swagger. The title track, "The Lightning Conductor" and "Do Not Burn The Witch"(not to be confused with the VENOM song, even though there is a kind of resemblance) all strike really fast and hard. I actually preferred the likes of "Riding Out" and "Buccaneers", which had more of a great "rocking" vibe, especially the latter track.
"Air Raid" ends the album with a ballad that sounds a lot like the kind SAXON used to do. Although three quarters of the band probably weren't even alive when the original ACID hit the scene, KATE'S ACID does its precursor proud and is a great nostalgia trip for classic metal fans. Attagirl, Kate!
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