During the British thrash revival of the noughties, Savage Messiah were often referred to as the Megadeth to Evile’s Metallica. This is mostly down to the more overtly technical riffing style than any rivalry between the bands, or even a stylistic resemblance between Savage Messiah and Megadeth. In fact, Savage Messiah had a more trad metal element to their thrash, with some Halford-esque falsetto vocals punctuating their attack. Now that many of their contemporaries have been inactive for a few years it’s down to Savage Messiah to prove they can stand the test of time.
From the opening track (Hands of Fate) it’s clear Savage Messiah are not messing around. Opening with a song with more Metallica style stomp than Evile ever pulled off, shows the level of ambition of a band at the top of their game. The stomping riffs on songs like the title track and Lay Down Your Arms are built for large venues and could work in anything from a two hundred capacity club all the way up to Wembley Stadium given the chance. The Metallica worship here even crosses over to the vocal delivery, which calls to mind James Hetfield at times. Whether it’s the cheeky “yeah yeah” after the chorus of the title track, or the vocal melody on the verse of Blood Red Road being wholly ripped off from Creeping Death, it’s glorious. Hands of Fate may well be the best Metallica album never released by Metallica.
A band as good as Savage Messiah would never be content to copy wholesale from another band. To enhance their already brilliant song writing they’ve added choruses that could easily be pulled from a golden era Iron Maiden album. From the soaring majesty of Wing and A Prayer to the beautiful harmonies of The Crucible. These choruses that are surrounded by the stomping riffing, makes the chorus sound so much bigger and explosive so that when the verse comes back in, the riff sounds infinitely heavier. This is like a song writing masterclass for more “radio friendly” rock bands on how to pull off a chorus properly in heavy music. If everything was lighter and more melodic the choruses wouldn’t pop nearly as much as they do in the heavier canvas.
One of the things missing from a lot of modern metal is real guitar hero moments. Savage Messiah deliver them in truck loads. Guitarists David Silver and Sam S Junior are a duo who could easily sit up there along with Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, Glenn Tipton and KK Downing, Synyster Gate and Zacky Vengeance. You name a legendary guitar duo and these guys can hold their own against them. Whether it’s soaring guitar harmonies on tracks like Wing and A Prayer or Solar Corona or guitar solos that really add something to the song, rather than showing off how good someone is at guitar. Maybe it’s the guitar heroics, wrapped up in a razor sharp, modern production, that makes this album feel fresh despite its constant references to the past. While this is an album for Metallica and Maiden fans, it will also appeal to fans of modern bands who have a more traditional edge, particularly Trivium.
Savage Messiah have released one of the best albums so far this year, and it sounds like they’re barely even trying. There’s no decline in quality anywhere in this album. Savage Messiah have shown us what it would sound like if the two biggest metal bands in the world were carefully combined, all while keeping their own stamp and personality on the music. It’s a breath-taking feat and if there is any justice in the music industry (which I sadly doubt) Savage Messiah will go on to be massive. If you like heavy music in any capacity I can’t see any reason you’d dislike this album. Do yourself a favour and check out this album, then grab a ticket to the next show Savage Messiah show that is anywhere near you. This band deserve our love and support, especially at a time when a lot of bands can’t stay together because of financial pressures. It would be a real shame to lose Savage Messiah.
Highlights: Hands of Fate, Wing and A Prayer, Last Confession, Solar Corona
Hands of Fate is released 27th October 2017, via Century Media, get it Here
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