HELLRIDE „Goodbyes To Forever”

Fastball Music & Bob-Media Distribution, 2020

Music: Acoustic Metal / Southern Rock

Website:

https://www.facebook.com/hellrideofficial/

https://fastball-music.bandcamp.com/album/goodbyes-to-forever

Duration: 36:00 minutes (9 tracks)

Country: Germany

Apparently the German band HELLRIDE is a pioneer of the so-called Acoustic Metal (!!!) Can Metal be acoustic at all? And I don’t mean “unplugged”, i.e. Rock/Metal’s songs played acoustically “without electricity”. But in the 21st century, everything is possible in a music. If it can be Synth Metal (because there are already bands describing their music by this name) then it can be Acoustic Metal … Even if it contradicts iron rules, among others that in Metal music distorted guitars must dominate…

In any case, this is band’s next album and as the album title indicates, the last album. Well, what is the reason for their farewells, I do not know. But I know that the material should appeal to fans of Rock/Metal ballad songs (in the style of the 80’s) or Southern Rock climates, because mainly such music is presented there… The acoustic guitars with calm singing alternately with stronger chords hits with Blues Rock’s claw and a more predatory vocals, at rates ranging from slow pieces to fast races.

In fact, everything is the other way around… Among the dominant acoustic guitars and gentle solos or passage accents (but without the rhythmic section – drums and bass) there somewhere will be a minimal touch of distorted guitar riffs. And between melancholic songs and delicate choirs we will hear stronger ominously growling and screaming vocals, as well as strong Heavy Metal’s singing.

At times the music sounds very progressive… like in Progressive Rock … At other times we can clearly feel the stigma of Country music, also a bit of Grunge… And of course the atmosphere of Southern Metal, which is powerful in its own way.

Someone once said that the name HELLRIDE is misguided in relation to this music. Maybe it’s too strong for this acoustic music. But in spite of everything, this music has speed, power and a dark atmosphere in many places.

The album features a cover of Rod Steward’s “Young Turks”.

Tracklist:

1. Someone To Hate

   2. The Misanthrope

   3. Napoleonized

   4. Don’t Hunt What You Can’t Kill

   5. 3030

   6. Metal This Not Is

   7.Temporary Out Of Mind

   8. Young Turks (ROD STEWART)

   9. Air Supremacy

Line-up:

Tom Klossek – vocals

Kai Pasemann – guitars

Stefan Gassner – guitars

Rate: 8.0/10