Heavy US rock from Sixty Watt
Shaman. This American band's music is rooted in 70's bands like Black Sabbath. Sixty Watt
Shaman is just more forceful and mixing their roots with southern Rock and recent Heavy Metal bands like Pantera (vocal wise) and
Metallica (loose feel). The solo
All My Love sounds like a rewritten
Pulling Teeth from "Kill Em All".
The production by Scott Redder is simply excellent. The record has a dry 70's sound but still quite powerful and updated. Singer Dan Kerzwick is screaming his lungs out on about half the tracks. At times his voice can be compared to singers from Hard Core bands and Phil Anselmo, which is a downside in my book. Personally I prefer the more controlled and mellow singing style exemplified beautifully on
Breathe Again, which is one of the albums top tracks with a great chord progression.
"Reason to Live" is a diversified record. The album opens with 5 up-tempo tunes and then the listener is totally caught by surprise. Next track
The Mill Wheel is an acoustic song, which proves that Dan Kerzwick really is capable of singing. Drummer Minnesota Pete is laying a perfect beat for the mellow
The Mill Wheel and it is the closest you get to a Sixty Watt
Shaman campfire song.
Overall the individual songs have several moods and sound collages. The title track understates that with varied tempo and many different chord structures. Most tracks are guitar riffs based like the album's most outstanding track
Long Hard Road. This song really hits hard with some great wah-wah playing and a tough groovy mid tempo beat.
Sixty Watt
Shaman consist of competent musicians. However, singer Dan Kerzwick's vocals are too Hard Core in my opinion. Some tracks simply get worse with the screaming vocal. Even though the album is diversified not all tracks on "Reason To Live" have same high standard. Some tracks are too ordinary like
One Good Leg. The album ends with a prolonged 9 minute Jam session.
If you are a fan of either Corrosion of Conformity or
Black Label Society you should give Sixty Watt
Shaman a listen. Personally I would prefer either C.O.C or Zakk's band but keep in mind that I don't listen to this style that often.
Written by
Michael Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Show all reviews by MichaelRatingsMichael: 5.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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