Ignitor: Haunted By Rock & Roll

Haunted By Rock & Roll is the sixth album from traditional metal outfit Ignitor. Hailing from Austin, Texas, this lot threw out their debut album back in 2004, but it’s only really been since they teamed up with Dave Ellefson’s EMP imprint for Haunted… that this band’s profile has begun to rise. Fronted by Jason McMaster, who wile singing for countless bands is best known for his time behind the mic with Dangerous Toys and being the original voice of Watchtower, for those who’ve only heard this guy sing about ‘sportin’ a woody...’ his commanding performance here may well come as something of a shock. Although for long-time followers of Watchtower there will be no surprise whatsoever. He’s in fine fettle here, barking, howling and slaying with his scything attack and proving the perfect foil for a style of metal that closely belongs to the NWOBHM family while offering a slightly more US take on that oh so British of styles. If there’s any band that readily springs to mind as Haunted By Rock & Roll makes its ghoulish presence felt, then it’s the recently resurrected Hell. The mix of theatrics and threat balanced to near perfection.

With the guitar pairing of Stuart Laurence and Robert Williams adept at making incisively sharp forays, the slam glam thank you KaBlam of “Leather Forever� is like a fist in the guts, its mid-paced power infused by some clever kick drum fury from Pat Doyle. Alongside him bassist Billy Dansfiell adds a real uncompromising bite, never keeping things too simple and yet knowing exactly what’s required to get the message across. “Nomad� being the perfect example, advancing doggedly but with a glint in its eye and a feel for the dramatic.

As he proves throughout, McMaster is a mighty weapon, his high octane bark never allowed to slip out of control as the frontman ads colour and staging to the ragingly romping “Hung Drawn And Quartered�, originally by Raven. That “Hatchet (The Ballad Of Victor Crowley)� originally featured in the slasher pic Victor Crowley is no surprise, Ignitor’s intentionally over the top approach slipping neatly into the blood soaked world of schlock horror without ever sliding into pastiche. While the thumping, pumping “Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown� and straight for the throat “To Brave The War� illustrate that this band can create the same imagery without the visual stimulation.

There are ways to deliver traditional straight up metal that proves that it can still be an exciting and innovative tool, even if it is playing by long laid down rules. Haunted By Rock & Roll is undoubtedly following that very same path but with a sense of theatre and the ability to ham things up without ever tumbling in on itself, Ignitor have created what we used to call a real metal monster.

Track Listing
1. To Brave The Way
2. Haunted By Rock & Roll
3. Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown
4. Hatchet (The Ballad of Victor Crowley)
5. Leather Forever
6. Nomad
7. No Sanctuary
8. Throw Them From The Cliff
9. Hung Drawn And Quartered

Added: June 24th 2018
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Ignitor online
Hits: 894
Language: english

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