Vicious Rumors have been delivering kick ass thrashy power metal for nearly 30 years now, but for some reason the band just have never quite broken through, which is a real shame considering how much killer material they have churned out over the years. Live You to Death was recorded on their 2011 European tour with Hammerfall, and shows just how lethal a live beast they are. Founding members, guitarist Geoff Thorpe and drummer Larry Howe are joined here by singer Brian Allen, bassist Stephen Goodwin, and guitarist Bob Capka, and together they run through a host of tunes from throughout their career and there's a few bonus studio cover tunes thrown in for good measure.
"Murderball", "2 Minutes to Kill", "Replicant/Digital Dictator", "Abandoned", and "Hellraiser" all are brutal examples of thrash intensity mixed with power metal precision.Thorpe & Capka made a fine guitar team, unleashing torrents of white hot, complex riffery throughout this live set, and Howe's speedy drum fills are constantly twisting and churning underneath it all. Allen is the latest singer to front Vicious Rumor, and while he doesn't have the most unique voice in metal, he suits the band just fine. His mix of high pitched shrieks and gravelly mid range really works on the crushing "Soldiers Of the Night" amidst pummeling riffs and tasty twin harmony guitars. What's insteresting about this live album is that it really feels like a live album, as most of the crowd noises have been left in the mix, giving you the impression that you are right there in the audience.
The two bonus cuts are studio covers of Black Sabbath's "Sign of the Southern Cross" and Judas Priest's "Running Wild", both very well done and true to the originals. As a reminder of how good this band this band is live, as well as how many solid metal tunes they have written, Live You to Death is well worth seeking out.
Track Listing
01 Replicant / Digital Dictator
02 Minute To Kill
03 Murderball
04 Lady Took A Chance (intro)/ Down To The Temple
05 Abandoned
06 Let The Garden Burn
07 Hellraiser
08 Soldiers Of The Night
09 Don´t Wait For Me
10 Sign Of The Southern Cross (cover-version Black Sabbath)
11 Running Wild (cover-version Judas Priest)
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