Death Or Glory

Ever since their third album, Under Jolly Roger, Running Wild have become known as the pirates of heavy metal. Each album the band has churned out since Under Jolly Roger has had a pirate theme to it. While this has been the common thread through all but the band's first two releases, the band has also developed a style all their own that remains uncompromised to this day. Although the band tends to deliver a tad bit less speed with their latest releases, the Running Wild style is still the same, but that will be saved for another review. Clocking in at over 60 minutes, Death or Glory delivers a bombastic mix of galloping double bass drums, melodies that stay with you forever, killer riffs and the screaming guitar solos of Rock 'n"Rolf. Of course, add Rolf's unmistakable, unique vocals to the mix and what you have is true metal masterpiece! I could review each track on its own, but this review would turn into a book, so I'll hit the highlights... Riding the Storm is a perfect start the album pounding you from the inside with double bass, yet staying quite melodic with strong backing vocals. After two mid tempo tracks showcasing some excellent riffs and guitar solos, the double bass is back on Running Blood, again leaving your eardrums begging for mercy! Perhaps the most memorable track from the album, Bad to the Bone is a mid tempo anthem with a riff that will stay with you after even the first listen. Again, the strong backing vocals come in to play here to make this track one of the many gems of the CD. The next two tracks will be sure to make your neck hurt with thundering double bass, especially the very well done guitar solo in Tortuga Bay. Another highlight is the bagpipe intro to Battle of Waterloo, which adds a little atmosphere to this mid tempo, but quite melodic piece. Again, the feature here are the energetic riffs and guitar solos we have come to expect from the band. All in all, Death or Glory contains about half speed metal tracks with double bass, and the other half mid to fast paced tracks. However, the band's strong sense of melody is never lost throughout. The strong backing vocals will have you singing along as you drive down the highway at 100 miles per hour! Fans who have discovered Running Wild with their newer releases should pick this one up right away (a remastered version was released in 99). This album would also be a perfect starting place for the new fan.