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SINNER “Boom Bang Goodbye”
SINNER “Boom Bang Goodbye”
By Colonel Angus
I knew this day would happen but I keep thinking it is all a bad dream. All my heavy metal heroes are either dying or retiring and leaving us old metal faithfuls with a sinking feeling that the glory years are coming to an end. SINNER has been around since the early 80s and here we are, looking at the final release from this band that has rocked us for almost forty-five years. It has been four years since “Brotherhood” and one of the main things that changed is that Mat Sinner has relegated the vocals to a number of very qualified metal singers giving the album a bit of variety. Sure, the music is consistent but the changing vocal performance leaves the listener with a record that doesn’t sound “one note”.
“Boom Bang Goodbye” opens with the cranker "Dreams Can Come True" which will leave you with a good sense of what is in store for the rest of the disk. Renan Zonta (who is from a band called ELECTRIC MOB) does a great job in really making the chorus both melodic and memorable. Ushering in the second tune “Wait” is some great solid riffing courtesy of Alex Scholpp who has been behind some of the great guitar work for the past fifteen years. Switching to Michael Bormann really helps this track as he has a slightly rawer voice that bring another element to this album. The next two pieces contain the vocal of one of my favorite singers Ronnie Romero. Having lent his talents to RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER, and a whole host of other records, it only makes sense that he would sing a few tracks here. “Leave It All Behind” is a great heavy ballad-ish tune that quite frankly is one of the highlights on “Boom Bang Goodbye”. Following is this is another winner that has all the hallmarks of classic 80s metal. The crunchy riffing has that urgency that early metal was known for and Romero fits that vibe perfectly.
SOILWORK vocalist Bjorn “Speed“ Strid is next up to bat and he helms the hit single sounding “Are You Ready”. His performance fits perfectly with the kind of radio-ready riffing that would have been perfect for FM radio, if that were still a thing. Keeping with the melodic metal sound of the previous song, “Born to Run” has that same radio friendly sensibility and Erik Martensson provides his signature pristine vocals to elevate the tune even further. Each time I go through the record, I find myself really gravitating towards this tune and having it battle it out with the Romero tracks. Speaking of Romero, he is back on “Hellbreaker” and it is one of the heavier pieces on “Boom Bang Goodbye”. The lead guitar work here is also some of the most memorable on the disc, making this another standout in an already impressive run of excellent tracks.
While SAGA's Michael Sadler is not a choice I would have thought of for this metal record, his vocals fit in with the rest of the bunch, and while "Turn the Page" starts off kind of slow, it builds into a softer metal tune that showcases both his melodic strengths and SINNER's knack for crafting memorable hooks. It may not be as hard as some of the album's heavier moments, but it provides a welcome change of pace without feeling out of place. Michael Bormann returns for another hard rocker that has a great 80s vibe with an infectious chorus that will have you humming it for days. This is another late record highlight that should not be skipped over.
As I near the end, a sense of dread takes over as I know I am nearing the end of this band. Luckily, both “Under the Moonlight” and “Power” are quality songs that finish off what is the last record from SINNER. Fittingly, Sascha Krebs guests on the former providing some consistency given that he has been featured on the last four albums. Fellow PRIMAL FEAR bandmate Magnus Karlsson guests on the final tune wrapping up “Boom Bang Goodbye” with a neat bow. While I am sad that this is SINNER’s last record, I feel that they are ending a high note. I have enjoyed their albums, some to a greater degree than others, but lately they have delivered some quality material, and “Boom Bang Goodbye” is a fitting end to a strong run of late-career releases.
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