It’s 2012 and after a short “break-up” Running Wild have
returned with their new EP “Conquer”. The earlier release of “Shadowmaker” was
just a cruel joke; Rolf really reformed the band under the new name Rocka
Rollas and decided to bring us his pirate-infused speed metal once again! Well,
that’s what all Running Wild fans hoped at least. The good news is that Rocka
Rollas is actually a legitimate new band that has truly captured the essence of
Running Wild. Amazingly, all of this music was composed and played (except for
the vocals) by just one guy. Musically, their first full-length, “The War of
Steel Has Begun” was quite a different affair. It was still an over-the-top
speed metal attack, but it was more of a tribute to heavy metal with tracks
like “More Metal Than Steel” and “Heavy Metal Kings”. With “Conquer”, Rocka
Rollas has turned their attention bringing back the glory of records like “Blazon
Stone” and “Black Hand Inn”.
The opening song, “Bloodbath” is the most pirate-sounding
track of the last couple of decades. Seriously, those melodies sound like they
were ripped straight from Running Wild (and it isn’t because they are, it’s
just that their style was so distinctive that no other band captured it until
now). On the title track, the band slows down a bit in favour of a galloping
approach. After a few minutes, there are a series of fantastic harmonized lead that
eventually morph into guitar solos. This is actually one of the more original
moments of the EP, as the band use some melodies that I can’t recall hearing on
any Running Wild albums. The third track really picks up the pace again, but it
actually reminds me of something from the “Death or Glory” record, where the
pirate-sounds were prevalent, but not as clear as they were later on. I guess
that is appropriate for a song called “Riding The Metal Storm”. The chorus of
this track is actually a lot more upbeat than anything else on the album, but
the intensity resumes after each chorus. “Steelwheeler”, the instrumental, is a
high-speed shredding affair that is the perfect close to this release.
While it is the guitars that work quite hard to make this
record sound like an authentic Running Wild album, the vocalist is actually quite
similar to Rolf as well. He is certainly very German sounding and is probably
the most appropriate singer for this type of album. It’s difficult for me to
comprehend how Rocka Rollas can create this sound so effectively, but they’re
the first band I’ve discovered. What’s more, this EP is only a teaser for the
full-length, “Metal Strikes Back”, which will be released next year (also on Stormspell Records). “Conquer”
is a must-buy for all fans of Running Wild, as well as for all fans of killer
speed metal!
Be sure to check out and like Rocka Rollas on Facebook!
Highlights
"Bloodbath"
"Conquer"
Final Rating
4.5/5 or 90%.
Written by Scott