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RATTLESNAKES “Shadows In The Night”
RATTLESNAKES “Shadows In The Night”
By Dr. Abner Mality
From the very birthplace of metal itself, we now have RATTLESNAKES paying tribute to the classic sounds of the genre. There has been an avalanche of bands trying to recapture the magic of early British metal/early speed metal and we are approaching the danger zone of oversaturation. I learned of this band through my interaction with TAILGUNNER, who are dealing with some very dark issues now. Well, if TAILGUNNER goes down, RATTLESNAKES can pick up that baton and keep running with it.
There’s also no shortage of female vocalists in metal, but Rowena Neale is special, as there’s a very bold and brassy touch to her singing that elevates the songs. There’s a bit of a bluesier touch that’s different from the usual operatic tones we hear. As for the music, it ranges from balls-out speed metal of the title track, the chunky “Destroyer” and “Lost Nor Found” to the surprising semi-ballad “Where The River Meets The Sea”, which even features flute and a Celtic kick to it. Some might label the band as hard rock, but I think they are metal all the way, with the power of the riff dominating all.
The record is just the right length as well, neither too long or too short. There’s enough melody to keep this from being speed metal only and a nice musty whiff of the NWOBHM. Are RATTLESNAKES ready for a breakout? I would hope so…only ABSOLUTE POWER has put out a better pure metal album this year.
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