Band: Booze Control
Title: Forgotten Lands
Label: Gates of Hell Records
Release date: February 22, 2019
Country: Germany
Format reviewed: high-rate mp3 promo
This is a classic heavy metal album! Not a dated album. Rather an album that if released thirty years ago, we would still talk about it, today. Building on an undisputedly clear connection with NWOBHM, BOOZE CONTROL advances the right amount of current production qualities, delivering an incredibly well written, recorded and produced “Forgotten Lands”, their fourth full-length album. An album with round and audible bass guitar, fantastic unison guitar interplay, spatially dimensional drumming and eloquent vocal delivery. An album well engineered, with beautiful depth and an overall convincing stereo imaging, well captured sonic resonance and decay, audio clarity and reasonable dynamic range. An organic sounding body of music, with palpable guitar’s speaker cabinets and shimmering cymbal work, spicing things up rather nicely.
“Forgotten Lands” is a great way to celebrate the band’s ten years anniversary. In 2009 BOOZE CONTROL started as a one-off gig small project. The Germans, hailing from Braunschweig in the Lower Saxony, maintained their original lineup: David Kuri (vocals & guitar), Jendrik Seiler (guitar), Steffen Kurth (bass), and Lore Jilge (drums). The band has exponentially matured from the time of its inception, abandoning the somewhat clichéd boozed-out rock band angle, while with each album out, making viable efforts to improve their songwriting and stage presence. With an independently released, debut EP, “Wanted” (2009), and three albums under their belt: “Don't Touch While Running” (2011), “Heavy Metal” (2013), and “The Lizard Rider” (2016), BOOZE CONTROL created a loyal following, while convincing critics in regards to their collective potential.
The ten tracks on “Forgotten Lands” are clear indication of the band’s goal. As previously mentioned, the departure from the earlier antics, resulting in a clear lyrical shift, increased technicality and songwriting diversity. The dual guitar work on this effort is fantastic: flawless unison harmonies, fluid riff and lick combinations and spectacular solos. For the galloping guitar enthusiast: this is the album for you! Solidly anchored by the teutonic drumming precision and in conjuncture with, the bass guitar is 100% present, providing some mighty tasty rolling fills and bass & drums passages. Vocally, the catchy vocal lines are delivered in a rather subdued fashion, without any shadow of over-singing (a trait found way to often in this genre). Ranging from classic to epic, “Forgotten lands” bridges well NWOBHM to earlier days American power metal, and European speed metal.
I am a sucker for great sound. From my own perspective, an album deserves extra point(s) for its audio qualities. I personally find the sound quality to be equally important to songwriting and recording/production. Clocking just under forty-seven minutes, BOOZE CONTROL’s “Forgotten Lands” is a wet dream as far as sound is concerned. You’re invited to witness the evolution of a band that in ten years period elevated itself beyond their humble origins and party-time ethos, maturing along the way into a driving force on the German metal scene and beyond. Highly recommended. 9/10
Booze Control
Gates of Hell Records
© 2019 by Emil Chiru
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