Vicious Rumors 

                                                                                                            Title: Live You To Death

                                                                                                            Label: SPV / Steamhammer Records

With a career spanning 33 years, Vicious Rumours have always been known for their live molten metal shows and they sure deliver on 'Live You to Death'.  With such a history and many Metal anthems in their repertoire, you get what you pay for with this album, nine songs of pure Metal insanity and two excellent covers, you really can’t go wrong. 

A lot of the tracks are from the bands prime in the 80's / early 90's, opening with 'Replicant / Digital Dictator', the power and fan adoration is clear from the start.  

 

This band are lethal, as a cocktail of venom and metal delirium ensues over the first five songs, it’s a non-stop, heads-down meltdown.  Mad eyed and wild drumming opens 'Minute to Kill'.  'Murder Ball' is truly murderous and like a wrecking ball destroys all in its way.  This band are on a mission and smack you with death defying screams, dueling guitars and merciless aggression the first five tracks don’t let up.

'Down To The Temple' is my favourite on here, heavy, melodic, powerful and you really could be there in the crowd. 'Abandoned' sees Brian Allen on vocals fully showcasing his vocal abilities with screams like a wild jackal.  There’s a brief pause and a chance to get some breath into your battered and bruised lungs as Vicious Rumour's invite you to celebrate 666 years of metal, with the crowd encouraged to scream and punch the air as 'Let The Garden Burn' snares the crowd into a frenzy of fists and banged heads.  

 

The next three songs continue to capture the raw energy and fire as 'Don’t You Wait For Me' wraps up the live festival of  Vicious Rumours scorched earth policy!  Recorded over the Hammerfall tour of Autumn / Winter 2011, you get the feel and vibe of Vicious Rumours show to the max. Now the recording of Black Sabbath's 'Sign Of The Southern Cross' (Dio era) is excellent and really pays homage to the great man / band I feel and is an immense cover. Finally there is a cover of Judas Priest's 'Running Wild', which is a worthy version. 

The band decided to record these two classics to pay homage to where it all begun for Vicious Rumours. 

So for a full throttled Metal Meltdown of 56 minutes grab hold of 'Live You to Death'! 

 

Review by: Seb Di Gatto

 

Tracklisting:

1. Replicant / Digital Dictator
2. Minute To Kill
3. Murderball
4. Lady Took A Chance (intro) / Down To The Temple
5. Abandoned
6. Let The Garden Burn
7. Hellraiser
8. Soldiers Of The Night
9. Sign Of The Southern Cross
10. Running Wild