Colossus Drunk on Blood
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
A year after it was released on vinyl, CD buyers finally get to feast on the crushing metal platter that is Drunk on Blood, the debut EP from Raleigh, N.C. traditional metal revivalists Colossus. Traditional metal acts may seem like they’re a dime a dozen these days, but Colossus has a sprit that the White Wizzards and Cauldrons seem to lack. They’re not just aping classic Iron Maiden albums; they’re digging deeper and developing a grittier, more authentic, more metal sound.
It goes without saying that Judas Priest and Iron Maiden are key influences, but you can also hear a strong New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) vibe to these songs. It’s possible the guys in Colossus have never heard of Jaguar, Savage, Tygers of Pan Tang and the like, but they’re practically channeling those bands on some of these songs. Hell, you could slap a Neat Records logo on a 7” of “The Operative” and “Wendigo” and convince people that you had discovered a lost NWOBHM single. And those aren’t even Drunk on Blood’s best songs!
That honor goes to the thrashing, stomping “The Mountain That Rides,” which is based on the unforgettable character in George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series (take that, Blind Guardian!) and the furious “Kill More Better,” which absolutely captures the spirit of the soldiers depicted in the zombie epic World War Z. Like the hipster-friendly retro metal band Early Man, there is a sense that the guys in Colossus realize the absurdity of grown men singing about zombies and dragons, but whatever fun they have with the lyrics is balanced by a serious commitment to making authentic metal music.
A lot of bands claim to have a “classic metal” sound but instead seem to exist to fulfill a specific marketing agenda. Colossus is the real deal.
Genre: Traditional Metal
Band:
Sean Buchanan (v)
Bill Fisher (g)
Andy Lewis (g)
Nicky Nixon (g)
Rylan Wilshire-Eshelman (b)
Milton “Doza” Hawes (d)
Track Listing:
1. The Mountain That Rides
2. Kill More Better
3. A Year Later (There Is Still Meat Left In the Skull)
4. The Operative
5. Wendigo
Label: Tribunal
Website: www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10