IMPELLITTERI – Wicked Maiden

Pedal To The Metal, the last Impellitteri release, had its eyes set on Modern escapades and was, hardly surprisingly, met with mixed reactions. What to do? Well, a good idea is to ask back long serving and, many would argue, quintessential, Impellitteri vocalist Rob Rock. The new outing marks Rock’s third time joining the axe man’s ranks. As such, it comes as no surprise that Wicked Maiden hearkens back to the Impellitteri style of old.

Combining the catchy traits of Grin And Bear It with some of the aggression that was present on System X, Wicked Maiden marks at large a great return to form. The result speaks in Metal volumes. Even though he is the main man onboard, Chris Impellitteri is part of the rare players amongst the speed specialized guitarist community who won’t let his flashy playing interfere with the songs. Rather, wizardry is set to add color to the actual composing at hand.

Songs such as the title cut, “Last Of A Dying Breed” and “The Battle Rages On” are Metal feasts that set the tone for most of the album, where an orgy of screaming guitars and Rock’s multi tracked vocals demands the listener’s attention. A few tunes stray more along happier ways whilst still retaining the heaviness; Van Halen-like stunts in the lighthearted “High School Revolution”, and “Eyes Of An Angel” walks along the more Melodic end of the spectrum whilst hosting similarities to “Falling In Love With A Stranger”. The less memorable moments would be “Garden Of Eden”, “Wonderful Life” and “The Vision”. In typical Impellitteri fashion, these tracks come across somewhat ominous, rather than bad.

For the most part, the material on offer is strong enough to compensate for the usual clinical, cold perfection that is typical for Impellitteri and that at times works to the band’s disadvantage. Total traditional Impellitteri, Wicked Maiden sees one of the more even works in the group’s catalog.