After having listened intensely to
Raise Hell's previous album,
Not Dead Yet, I was very exited about what this Swedish kick ass Thrash band had to offer this time. And I must say right away, that not only did they live up to the aforementioned release, they even surpassed it!
Wicked Is My Game is somewhat more mature concerning song structures and the way the songs are arranged. The guys have also improved on their playing ability though
Raise Hell's biggest force has never been technically demanding music. Here, the songs speak for themselves, and there's absolutely no complaining about that when they are as good as these!
The more straight-ahead-thrash, groovy approach which was chosen on the previous album is continued nicely but it might take a few more listens to get into this one as it' a little less catchy. Not a bad thing as less catchy albums often has a longer lasting value.
Though I find that the band have matured, both as songwriters and instrumentalists, there's no giant changes in the musical style or core elements since last time we heard from them.
The midtempo track
Hellborn starts the album in a nice way, but I guess it's not a typical opener, as it's pretty slow compared to the general
Raise Hell sound, but never the less it manages to catch the listener's attention from the start, with it's groovy feeling and catchy hookline.
Nightwatcher is surely a highlight on the album, and maybe one of the best
Raise Hell songs ever! Big words, yes, but this song simply has a brilliant drive, a cool screamed out chorus and nice melodic guitarwork, crowned with soaring, raw vocals! The temposhifts and general flow in this song also help make it stand out!
In
The Haunted House, the band uses a distortion effect on the vocals, which I can't really make out if I like or not. On one hand, it helps give a little variation in the vocals, but I find it a bit strange in this sort of music, I guess, and I can't help wonder if the song would have been just a little bit better without it? Hmm, well, otherwise there's nothing to complain about, the song itself surely kicks ass and has a cool structure!
The title track follows, starting with a pretty simple riff, then building up for about a minute before the vocals set in, and sort of take over the flow in the song. The melodic guitarwork as well as the duelling vocals that scream at each other in the chorus in true Thrash fashion, just rules! Around the middle a slower part is thrown in and the atmosphere gets a little more sinister, before the song grooves away again. A very catchy and varied title track!
The variation in tempo and the mix between aggressive groove and nice, melodic guitars are some of the elements that save
Raise Hell from ever getting boring or predictable, which
In My Cell in a good example of! This song also shows some more variation in vocals, also a plus! A part like the one around 3:27 where the music stops and the guitar stands alone, just for a very short second, is an example of these small, unexpected changes, that makes the music so much more interesting than a whole lot of bands out there, who are trying to play this style!
Another highlight is coming up next, in the shape of
Another Side, which is the album's most melodic track, but also one of the ones that takes a few more listens than the rest, oddly enough. It starts out in a ballad kind of way, and after about a minute the drums and bass kicks in, and the song takes a heavier turn. The way this song builds up momentum to the more aggressive chorus is awesome! We're also treated to a very cool guitar solo and duelling guitarwork as well as vocals that scream in an almost desperate way. Well done!
The album continues with my personal favorite,
Death Race, providing a classic Thrash feeling, with it's rhythmic, ongoing flow, relying a lot on the ripping bass and tight drumming. Somehow the energy and drive in this song reminds me about Destruction. Around the middle a melodic part is thrown in, again saving a tune with a rather simple structure from getting totally predictable. Damn, they're good at this! The song goes faster and faster towards the end.
Devil May Care may be the weakest link on a very strong album, without being an exactly bad song. There's none such on this album. The song is a little too chorus based, and is also a little on the simple side, compared to the rest of the tracks. It grooves nicely, but somehow doesn't manage to live up to the high quality of this release.
The final track,
Destiny Deceiver blasts ahead from the start, a very speedy ending to the album, and again we have this classic, raging Thrash sound. The very angry beginning is followed by a slower part, and the structure for this one is of very high quality. Again, I must say,
Raise Hell are good at slowing down for just a few seconds, at the exact right moments, making the song just that little more interesting! I love the chorus, where Jonas Nilsson screams in a high aggressive voice
"what can I do to prevent this?" then answer his own question
"nothing!" with a growl.
This is a very great song for sure!
The production for this album is somewhat "dirty" and unpolished, a perfect sound to fit the feeling in the music. The bass could have been a little more up front, as it is a core element in this music, and so could the drums, as they are very tight and detailed.
There are no fillers on Wicked Is My Game, and the album is recommendable for everyone who likes groovy, melodic Thrash!
Written by
Nina Tuesday, September 16, 2003
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