BLAZING DOG – Metallic Beast

The first thing about making Heavy Metal, besides knowing how to play and compose, is just like in sports – the love and passion for the game. Through many bands, throughout the Metal history, you were aware of the infatuation of the members when they formulated their music while listening to their tunes. Metallic Beast is a great exemplification for the passion to make good solid rock Heavy Metal without fear of using a bit of modernity within the production. The album’s creators, Blazing Dog, from Brasilia, Brazil, will please many ears while displaying the great true form of 80s and 90s Heavy Metal in the vein of Manowar, Iced Earth and lest we forget Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

Brazil, when looking back, was often taken for granted as a land that produced pretty much Extreme Metal acts such as Sepultura, Krisiun and Sarcofago. However, in the last decade, Heavy and Power Metal got more recognition, which was partially assumed by bands as the famous Angra, Liar Symphony and the old Viper, with new assaulting bands in the figure of the Hibria, Tribuzy, Shaman, the Andre Matos project, Dominus Praelii and you can also add Blazing Dog to front of that list.

The band’s leader and founder, vocalist Carlos Sousa, came up as an experienced musician, after being active in the Brazilian Metal scene since the end of the 80s through the 90s and afterwards, among four other younger Metalheads with Heavy Metal in their veins. All through Metallic Beast you can hear the talents of these guys, besides the experience of Sousa that is well noted with him being similar to a collision between John Bush of Armored Saint and Doug Godfrey of Heathen.

The songs are strong and choppy yet with the sizeable impression of the old days as the band empower the barracudas of US influenced obtained Metal as “Will Of Steel”, “Assassins”, “Easy Rider”, “A Thousand Deaths” and the blasting self-titled “Blazing Dog”. These, nevertheless, standard issue Heavy Metal tracks, under the idle producing hands of Marcos Pagani, show the longing for Traditional Metal. Metallic Beast, as an album of character, is a US Metal production with strong ties to what many adore, appreciate and gives out the idea of how one preserves his roots of music.

One song has earned full recognition, as it is the most amazing track of the album. “Wasted Bullets” is the best definition of a North American Metal song that Blazing Dog could have produced. It begins with a wonderful acoustic intro led by the western sound of the harmonica, so you would feel that this one had to be about 18^th century gunning and Wild West kind of stuff and it keeps on going as a strong Heavy Metal ballad of huge quality. The solos presented are emotional with tons of feel to them, the distorted riffs are like steel hammers, vocals are extra great and there is even a great use of 60s-70s vocal style of R&B made by Ellen Oleria. Overall, this track is a cracker and it was placed and timed in the right place at the right time.

Brazilian Metal is one of the leaders of the South American Metal communion. This old scene, in the last decade, has welcomed some great True Metal artists that keep on growing. Blazing Dog brings that scene the influences of US Metal and it should be distinguished as a great addition.