Drenched in the decadence of old school Rock N' Roll and Heavy Metal, debut album of Austria's sons, BLACK MARIAH offers up a healthy dose of vintage style Metal.  "Done And Dusted" is straight up, non-watered down Metal debauchery from beginning to end. Even the band's name, BLACK MARIAH has a bit of a Metal edge, as it is slang for a police van used to transport prisoners.

Their sound might be described as a mixture of bands such as THIN LIZZY, MOTORHEAD, and MOTLEY CRUE. With a signature of two guitars bringing twin harmonic solos as well as dual harmonic rhythms, it packs a serious punch. Filthy Phil and B.B. Newman serve up some powerful riffs and solos. Steve Destiny really brings it on the bass and Farid Leonhartsberger knows what he's doing behind a drum kit. Apparently he even bleeds on the drums sometimes; he's pounding the skins so hard. At the forefront is former tattoo artist Danny Bullman with some powerful and unique vocals.

Songs are earthy, the lyrics easy to relate to for the most part. Delving into different many different emotions, it takes veers in many directions. Among favorites from "Done And Dusted" were "Every Hour Every Day" with a great showcasing of their guitars, drums and bass. It was a great and catchy tune. Taking you down a darkened corridor, the anthem "Addiction" is a hard driving force with lyrics steeped in pain and struggle. "Break The Chains" had a cool tempo and an unexpected and very nice spoken word portion around the ¾ mark. Other favorites included "Hate" where it seemed the whole band really shined. "Get Me The Fuck Outta Here" that perhaps anyone stuck at the day job can relate to, really wanting to get the hell off the clock and go enjoy some good music. "Insanity" offered some great surprises with the guitar work, as well as the addition of some wonderful female vocals.

I felt this was a really solid album, and very well done, with but one exception. In my opinion the vocals could have been turned up a notch or two, but then maybe that's just me or perhaps my speakers. Songs were nicely varied, tempos changed perfectly and not too much or too little. The guitars are out of this world, vocals perfect for the music. The bass and drums are crazy good. If good old fashioned Metal is your thing, music dripping with sex, drugs, and Rock N' Roll, then you just might love BLACK MARIAH.