HENRY METAL – Metal O’Clock

With Metal O’Clock being the fourth Henry Metal release of 2017, this new artist may be on track to break Buckethead’s record of most albums released in one year. Showcasing multi-instrumentalist skills, Metal writing chops, and making a case for self-reliance seems to be the goal here for Henry Metal. This latest release, with eight tracks of Heavy Metal and Traditional Power Metal, features a wide variety of classic influences including Iron Maiden, Manowar, Judas Priest, Grim Reaper, and perhaps most notably, King Diamond.

While the heartfelt enthusiasm of this release is undeniable, sub-standard production quality plagues this album as well as the earlier Henry Metal efforts. There is also a noticeable lack of depth in the development of the lyrics. After listening to this release, and then the Henry Metal back catalog, one has to ask what this artist is really hoping to accomplish with this rapid-fire release schedule. There are many solid and impressive musical ideas to be found on Metal O’Clock, but overall, the album lacks a certain finished, polished quality to it. Unsurprisingly, it sounds as if the production was rushed. This is very noticeable on the vocals which sometimes have an unintentionally “garage recording” vibe to them. In some genres this wouldn’t be an issue, but in Metal, with its high production value standards and well-tread history, these production shortcomings are simply distracting to the point that it takes away considerably from the listening experience.

All that being said, Metal O’Clock does have a certain lovable metal charm about it, and it is obvious that Henry Metal, as an artist, is truly invested in what he’s doing. Perhaps by bringing in some outside players with helpful criticism and simply taking more time in the development of the songs and album production, these releases could be elevated to legitimate Metal God status.