Biss

The German/Swiss coop goes into round two! On their fourth album, which is outfitted with a rather strange cover artwork, Biss finally managed to keep a singer for more than one album. That is a good thing for Biss fans as this continuity in lineup makes X-tension pick up where the last album Face Off left off. Ralf Heyne on guitar performs very classic and simple riffs, the type that has become typical and a trademark for German Metal around the world. They build the backbone for every song, and this is obviously done intentionally as the guitar sound stands out in the production, and sometimes threatens to dominate even over the vocals, although the performance of Mark Storace, known for his work with Swiss Metal legend Krokus, is the best ingredient of Biss’ music on the album. Bass and drums are okay, but only do what is expected of them and do not draw focus on the rhythm section. Mark and Ralf definitely call the shots, and so the compositions also come as no surprise as straight Hard Rock dominates, although it is less AC/DC-influenced than Storace’s primary band. That can be very satisfying … when infectious riffing like in the opening tracks “Run For Your Life” and “V Card” drives the songs, and Marc Storace delivers his vocals with one of his best performances ever, knowing when to push to the front and when to serve the song by keeping a lower profile and creating a feeling of suspense. That, and the delicate solo leading back into the great riff, makes the latter track and slow, pulsing “Train Of Thoughts” some of the best moments on the whole album. Other highlights include the positively Accept-like “Shout It Out,” which could be a composition from the Metal Heart-era, “Born …READ MORE