The Raleigh, North Carolina band Colossus’ debut album was released this year on the German label Killer Metal Records. Having been together for around five years, the music has had plenty of time to develop and mature to its current incarnation on … And The Rift of The Pandimensional Under-Gods. Spanning eleven songs, the album is an exciting throwback to the riffs of early Iron Maiden and post-British Steel Judas Priest. They are fast and have a highly nostalgic quality thanks to guitarists Nick Nixon and Bill Fischer’s faithful yet inventive dueling riffs. Truly, the guitar work here is the utmost standout. The solos shred, yet carry constant melody. The riffs are ever-dispersed by rhythm changes and interjected with bits of lead harmony. Song such as “Limit Break,” “Hoc’Tel,” and “Bubba Zanetti” feature some of the albums finest riffs and solos. Vocalist Sean Buchannan’s vocals are also a highlight. His high tenor vocals are akin to those of Wolfmother and Coheed & Cambria (but his are more 80’s arena than 70’s glam). The album’s lyrics are mostly drawn from pop-culture sources, sometimes in a comical way. “Limit Break” is a term from Final Fantasy 7, “The Message” is based on The Day The Earth Stood Still, and the album’s 10 minute epic, “Willow,” is based on a 1988 Ron Howard film of the same name. Great production, ingenuitive riffing, catchy melodies, and good dynamic variety keeps Colossus first album from loosening its grip on listeners, whilst also saving it from being a mediocre rehash of NWOBHM. Instead, it is a genuine tribute, and re-envisioning, of that great era in metal music. There are downsides to Collosus’ distinctly throwback sound. At its core, the sound has already been done to death, and in order to survive as artists they must become more progressive on future releases. As an Iron Maiden fan myself, it’s great to relive these awesome tones, because they are in a way timeless. But rarely have bands with a sound so ingrained in a single artist (or group of artists) survived past their second album (see Wolfmother, Jet, and The Darkness).
All in all, Colossus’ first album is a complex throwback record with strong ties to early Iron Maiden. Although these strong ties make for an exciting listen, they throw a shadow of doubt over whether the band can pull influence from other artists and create work which is more diverse in scope, and more conducive to their longevity as a band.
Tracklist:
1. Limit Break
2. The Message
3. Salamandrastron
4. One Was Man
5. Willow
6. Ghost Fucker
7. Bubba Zanetti
8. Legends of The Future
