MEGA COLOSSUS
MEGA COLOSSUS “Showdown”
By Colonel Angus
In today’s world, we are inundated with so much new music that sadly some of it falls through the cracks. There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not exposed to a band that has been around awhile but I am just hearing about them now. MEGA COLOSSUS is one of those bands. They started off almost two decades ago as COLOSSUSs but added the MEGA for their sophomore release “HyperGlaive”. “Showdown” is their latest release and they have started 2024 with quite a bang. I have not heard any of their other material so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Thankfully, there is a lot for me to enjoy on this six track effort. Clocking in at just under thirty eight minute, MEGA COLOSSUs is able to throw in quite a few twists and turns throughout the disk and even on some songs.
Things start off in fine fashion with lead single “Fortune and Glory”. It is a great power metal track that brings in a healthy dose of dueling guitars that will remind you of IRON MAIDEN. The story of treasure hunters is the perfect lyrical content for the fast paced adventure sounding riffing. There are parts where the riffing gets heavy but there is always a heavy emphasis on melody in each section of the song. Starting off the album with this tune is a great way to let the listener know what’s in store for the rest of the disk.
The second track “Outrun Infinity” follows similarly to the first except they replace the IRON MAIDEN sounds with a 70s vibe adding in some KANSAS (the band, not the state) elements. If you are into great guitar solos, look no further. Bill Fischer and Chris Millard are a great guitar team that makes the riffing and soloing a highlight on “Showdown”. As the music shifts slightly to expose the subtle hints of prog, the guitars anchor the music to give it a little bit of a space to explore but still grounding it firmly in the metal realm.
Following up a couple of classic power metal-ish tunes is, in my opinion, the piece de resistance of “Showdown”. This seven minute opus is has all the twist and turns of a prog piece but relies mainly on thrash and just good old metal. Things start off slow with some dueling guitars on “Grab the Sun” but after a brief moment, the guys kick it into high gear and go full on thrash. I can just picture a mosh pit going during this song. The riffing is fast and precise but unlike a lot of thrash, the vocals are really good and clean. No harsh barking and Sean Buchanan sing more in the vein of a Joey Belladonna. As mentioned earlier, there are a couple areas where the band takes a slight turn and no more drastic than the last couple of minutes where the track goes off into more standard metal territory. Every song on “Showdown” is great but “Grab the Sun” is where I feel MEGA COLOSSUS really shines.
Upon first listen, I was a little disappointed with the title track which follows the awesome “Grab the Sun”. It is a straight ahead rocker that reminds me of Guy Speranza era RIOT. I have to admit that with repeated plays, I am really digging this track and it is growing on me. Again, there is some great guitar work and the vocals are strong and melodic. It just goes to show you that first impressions can be wrong because I am no longer let down and I look forward to this tune.
In the promo material, they mention KANSAS as an influence and on “Wicked Road” it is very pronounced. If you took the harder aspects of KANSAS and mixed it with 80s metal, you would get this tune. There is a very upbeat and uplifting vibe around the music and the melodic chorus takes it from just a good metal to something that you will want to play repeatedly. Following closely behind is a track that has less KANSAS influences but still retains that great 80s metal vibe. “Take to the Skies” has that same RIOT influence but with a slightly updated sound. This second half of the record is a little more straight forward musically but just as impactful as the first half.
Well, there you have it. Almost thirty eight minutes of a mix of different types of metal thrown together to form a very enjoyable album. It is the perfect length to give you the ability to let the songs grow on you. There is idea that because you can fill a disk with a lot more music, you have to do so but sometimes having that restraint to just put the best of the best out the best is the right thing to do. Less is more and in the case of “Showdown”, MEGA COLOSSUs gave us just the right amount.