You've been melancholic since Painkiller was released seventeen years ago? You feel no fuckin' album, bearing such 'sharpness' and 'metal' production, will ever be released again? You just did receive a good portion of 'methadone' due to Rob Halford's two solo releases? You do not think bands like PRIMAL FEAR are capable of reviving this specific vibe? Well, no more tears... Metalmorphosis is your next favorite 'maniac' JUDAS PRIEST album. And this is not a bad comment at all (see for the grade below). Pure Metal (and only) entertainment!
See the lineup above and judge who you don't know. He, you don't know, is the mainman (now) of KILLING MACHINE, gottcha? A devoted in-your-face Metal musician, Peter Scheithauer may be known to some due to his works with bands like BELLADONA, TEMPLE OF BRUTALITY, ENEMY OF GOD and STREAM. In the initial KILLING MACHINE lineup we saw the (then) W.A.S.P. rhythm section of Stet Howland and Mike Duda, while vocals where handled by none other than Mike Vescara (OBSESSION, LOUDNESS, Y. MLAMSTEEN). That quartet delivered the brilliant same-titled debut, a 'raw' Metal album that gained enough of recognition but, eventually, is...inferior(!) in relation to Metalmorphosis!
As soon as extraordinary vocalist James Rivera (HELSTAR, DISTAND THUNDER, DESTINY'S END, VICIOUS RUMORS, SEVEN WITCHES, FLOTSAM & JETSAM), fine bassist Dave Ellefson (MEGADETH, F5), brilliant axeman Juan Garcia (AGENT STEEL, EVIL DEAD) and ample drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER, Y&T, MD45, MEGADETH) join the camp, what should we expect from this 'family'? Only the band's name itself is the proof of what's to listen to. Still, no 'old fashioned' PRIEST lurks in here. Metalmorphosis - to tell the truth - relates to the unexpected 'orgy' of Painkiller (the Metal pioneers reminded us of who's the boss in Heavy Metal music). Hence, experienced musicians with different bios pay (eventually) a helluva homage to pure Metal ideals. No power, no peic, no prog, no teutonic, no nothing... Just Heavy Metal music in the first place. Razor-ous riffs, pounding rhythm section, sharp leads, scratchin' high-pitched vocals and there's nothing more to add. Really, nothing.
One more time: You've been melancholic since Painkiller was released seventeen years ago? You feel no fuckin' album, bearing such 'sharpness' and 'metal' production, will ever be released again? You just did receive a good portion of 'methadone' due to Rob Halford's two solo releases? You do not think bands like PRIMAL FEAR are capable of reviving this specific vibe? Well, no more tears... Metalmorphosis is your next favorite JUDAS PRIEST album!