You may recall that Lizzy seemed to over sing at times, really trying to stick the vibrato and overdoing the falsetto. Never horrible, his style was more a sign of the times than any misgivings on his part. Bruce Dickinson and Sebastian Bach are prime examples of this, though a bit more successful with it. Yet with age Lizzy seems to have finally come into his own, really working on pitch and knocking the melodies right in the riff pockets perfectly. This album is easily his finest vocal work. I wonder if his work with current side gig Starwood helped with his technique, where the vocals are less power and more precision. When I say he is good here, I mean he is really fucking good. Tunes like "Under your Skin," "Tomorrow Never Comes," "Darker Side," "Bloody Tears" -- and everything else on the record, for that matter.

As is par for the Lizzy Borden course, Appointment with Death is another theme record, this time about death, obviously. Eleven tunes on the subject, and not so transparent as the stereotype of death and a Heavy Metal band might suggest. It's not monsters and Satan. Moreover, we're talking about suicide, the end of relationships, fear of death, facing death, beating death -- and maybe a Hell reference here and there. Dare I say this is a lyrically and conceptually sophisticated record?

Musically, we can no longer deny that the Lizzy Borden band is a unit of top notch players, proficient musicians, and skilled song writers. Joey Scott's playing remains frenetic, all the while he's right in the groove. New guitar player Ira Black brings a fresh appeal, sweet licks and solos underscored by the song. No crazy ranting solos. Everything fits nicely. Then there's Marten Andersson, who may be the finest virtually unknown Metal bassist in the world, fast, precise, and intense. In a nutshell, these guys are really tight. So many Metal bands, old and new, are like the New York Yankees. They're bands with Hall of Famers, yet they can't seem to win because everybody's trying to hit the homerun. In the case of Lizzy Borden, the band loads the bases then Lizzy himself knocks the ball out of the park.

Reading what I've written thus far, I'm afraid I might sound like a Lizzy Borden partisan, but on the contrary, up until 2000's Deal With the Devil, I was hardly more than a casual listener. Other than seeing them open for Manowar in the 80's, they flew under my radar. So my excitement for this record is genuine, and I hope you find the opportunity to purchase this gem as well.

written by Alan Gilkeson

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