Drakkar
X-Rated Reloaded
Rating
Style: Heavy/Speed Metal
Release date: 27 January, 2012
Playing time: 44:28
 

If I start to think about bands that still play speed metal at the moment, I can't come up with a lot of bands. It is a genre, which was popular in the eighties, but today it is almost gone. There are bands that play fast power metal and a few that sound like speed metal bands, but with a big portion of thrash. The first album of Helloween, Anvil, Toxic, Agent Steel, Savage Grace, Razor were bands that could be categorized in that genre. Today you can mention a band like Dragonforce, although you could also say that they play an over the top version of power metal.

The name Drakkar made me walk to my collection of CD's and I found an album of the band called 'Gemini'. The Drakkar we are talking about here is a totally different band. The 'Gemini' Drakkar is an Italian power metal band and as far as I know they still exist. This Drakkar hails from Belgium and because of a re-union they re-released their 1988 album 'X-Rated'. I have to be honest and I don't think there will be a lot waiting for this release. Only if you are real die-hard corny heavy/speed metal fan, maybe you will like this.

The music sounds very old-fashioned and besides more aggressive singing, the vocals have the typical high over the top pull outs. They sound so false at times, that my neighbors must have thought I put their cat in the blender. The music is a combination of heavy and speed metal, but even in 1988 this album wouldn't have made a lot of impression. In Germany there were a whole bunch of bands that played the same shit back then. A totally redundant re-release in my eyes, the music is not strong enough and I get pains from listening to the album from start to finish. Perhaps there are some Belgian fans that worship them, but I don't think anyone from abroad will have any sleepless nights because of this album..., nightmares perhaps.


Tracklist

01. Rise and Fight
02.
X- Rated
03.
Terminator
04. Forgotten Heroes
05. Lords of the North
06. King of Shade
07. Stand Up
08. Highlander
09. You're Not Alone
10. To My Dead Friend

Label: Ultimhate Records
Distribution: Ultimhate Records
Reviewed by: Reinier de Vries
Date: 1 April, 2012
Website: www.drakkar-band.com