NITROGODS – Rebel Dayz

There once was an English three piece band known as Motörhead. No single fan of Heavy Metal and Rock’n’Roll needs to be introduced to it. But there’s also a German band that also is three piece and sounds very much like them. They are called Nitrogods and have been around since 2011. Their new record titled Rebel Dayz is an album that definitely does need to be listened thoroughly before any judgement on it is made!
It starts in a rather boring way, and that concerns first four songs. There is neither groove nor power to them and the bass sounds like the battery was about to die. All impatient fans of Metal might switch onto a different band (perhaps ABBA or A-Ha?) or fall asleep, as that would be possible. But after four rather boring songs comes the fifth composition titled “Get Lost” and that’s where the album starts properly. A mix of Judas Priest from Point Of Entry era and Mötley Crüe with John Corabi? With Lemmy on vocals? That combination works just great, especially as there is something fresh to the overall sound of the band. There is the old school spirit here, but it does not sound like something that has been played before.

It turns out that there are more decent songs on Rebel Dayz and it looks like there is some diversity here. The following composition, “It’s Not Your Rock’n’Roll” (that’s hell of a flippant title!) sounds more like modern Metal rather than the old school stuff, but is good nonetheless. Those who don’t require melody and catchiness in their music should approve of that one. What comes next… something for the fans of Pantera… and Metallica, at least those who like the solo from “Disposable Heroes” – because the solo from the eponymous seventh track, really does bring the one from the 5th track from Master of Puppets to the mind and not even the fact it’s quite chaotic in the beginning can spoil it. And then comes another great song. “Blind as a Stone”, because that’s what it’s called, starts with a really interesting guitar intro that builds up in a truly captivating way. Also, the bass sounds really amazing: dirty and powerful. Those who decided not to check any more of Rebel Dayz after not becoming convinced by the first tracks, have missed some decent tunes. But the best is still ahead.

So this is how it looks so far: four boring songs followed by four really good ones. Some of the further compositions do have a bit more of a Punk sound to them, which, again, adds diversity. But later comes the final track “Don’t Call My Name” and this by far the best composition out of all fourteen. This time it’s a blend of Motörhead, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. The rhythm in the chorus will make every Metal fan move to that amazing groove. The solo might sound a bit out of place at first, but it gets better with every second, also, it is noteworthy how much of an amazing job is done by the bass there. It may have sounded bad in some of the first songs, but what it does here is an absolute masterpiece, and it’s not about the speed and complexity – it’s about the pure Rock’n’Roll coolness. The final chorus is just emanating emotion and that’s the main factor to make that song stand out so much. This composition alone would make seeing Nitrogods live a worthwhile experience.

Rebel Dayz is definitely an album that is full of contrasts. It could be a bit shorter for sure – that way it would have fewer less exciting songs on it, but then, that is a matter of taste. Still, those who got discouraged by the first songs… well, shame on them! This album does have some great tracks on it and Nitrogods are certainly not yet another bunch of wannabes. Just like said before, no judgments should be made before the whole album has been checked. This does apply to Nitrogods perfectly. There are some proper gems here on Rebel Dayz and the largest piece of diamond one could imagine (maybe an entire diamond planet?) titled “Don’t Call My Name,” which hopefully soon becomes an anthem of the 21st century Hard Rock. Yes, that’s how powerful that song is. So if anyone is considering giving Rebel Dayz a listen – listen to it all way through and your faith in new music will soon be restored.