REDSHARK

REDSHARK "Digital Race"

By Dr. Abner Mality

Spain's REDSHARK deliver a sharp-fanged attack of speed metal when "Digital Race" kicks off, but as the album wears on, this shark kind of loses its bite. On the whole, though, the album is quite enjoyable if you enjoy 80's traditional metal with an extra kick of speed.

It is probably more fair to compare REDSHARK to the faster side of bands like METAL CHURCH and ACCEPT than out and out thrash in the SLAYER or DARK ANGEL vein. "The Drill State" is, um, "fast as a shark", to coin a phrase, and starts the album in blistering fashion. Paul Correas' has rough and raspy vocals but can still hit the high notes. He might take a little getting used to, but he fits the style of REDSHARK pretty well.

The first 2/3 of the album blazes by in no time, but the sound changes a bit towards the end. "Burning Angels" shows more of a modern power metal touch while "Pallid Hands" is an out and out ballad that even features flamenco guitar. Album finale "I'm Falling" is more like mid-paced METAL CHURCH and has a strange ending with acoustic guitar and whistling that made me think Axl from GUNS N ROSES stopped by for a minute. On these last few tracks, REDSHARK pays tribute to their more mainstream roots, but honestly, it's scorchers like the title track and "Kill Your Idol" that show where they really should be at.

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REDSHARK