|
|
|
|
If I say that Running Wild is one of the most underrated, despised and ignored metal bands, most of people surely will agree. Oh, of course, along with Manowar! It´s funny and at the same time sad: bands that have made so much for heavy metal, especially in the first years of the style, are such a target for many metalhead rants. Running Wild is one of the first heavy metal bands ever appeared in the face of the Earth, and that can´t be denied and deserves a respect. Their “pirate image” is something that most of the times has brought them jokes and they´ve not been taken seriously by that; however, in their lyrics and stage image there has been much more than that. Running Wild is a band educated in History, something reflected in their lyrical sheets where, if reviewing their discography, we can see songs about hussars, Genghis Khan, nowadays politics, the battle of Waterloo, Spanish Inquisition and conquerors, Romans, Indian resistance, books like “War and Peace” or “Treasure Island”, and, obviously, pirates! Not bad, really! History topics a lot richer than singing about monsters, blood, dragons and so on.
But we´re not here for the lyrics only, and Running Wild have delivered a bunch of good albums during their long career. Years have passed and the style has evolved, but just to a limited extent, since many people see them repeating some patterns and showing a great lack of originality –and I think it´s true-. But the fact that their last albums put those weaknesses in the spotlight is not a solid reason to ignore the past and the old albums that Running Wild have left as a legacy. “Gates to purgatory” is their first opus. It´s heavy metal the Running Wild way: strong, clean, furious, rebel.
The most personal trait about Running Wild has always been the voice of Rolf Kasparek (a.k.a. Rock´n Rolf). In a time when every metal singer wanted desperately to be Rob Halford and forced his young throat trying to match the high pitched screams from the metal god, Rolf sang with a rough voice that since then has been the trademark of the band. All in all, this LP should be regarded as what it is: a first effort full of energy and illusion, with the mistakes and tendencies of a young unexperienced band. Anyway, some songs have become immortal and, in the moment of writing these lines, twenty years after the release, can be enjoyed without any problem. Heavy tune “Soldiers of hell”; the frenzied savage attack of “Adrian”; the groovy rhythm of “Genghis Khan”; the hymn to the rebel at heart “Prisoner of our time”. While sound is not the best possible, and some songs are a bit weak, “Gates of purgatory” stands out as a nice debut with unforgettable songs and an incredibly grotesque cover picture. A couple of curiosities: this album is the first Noise Records release, that mythic label; and guitar player Preacher retired from metal and became... a priest! Logical from the nickname, hahaha!
| Tracklist |
| 1. Victim Of States Power |
| 2. Black Demon |
| 3. Preacher |
| 4. Soldiers Of Hell |
| 5. Diabolic Force |
| 6. Adrian SOS |
| 7. Genghis Khan |
| 8. Prisoner Of Our Time |
| CD bonus tracks: |
| 9. Walpurgis Night |
| 10. Satan |
: 42.37
| Buy other Running Wild albums |
