CD Review: Blood Divisions – "Blood Divisions" (Metal Blade)
OK everyone, time for a very bad joke. You’ve been
warned. What do you get when you combine a veritable all-star roster of metal
musicians like Fozzy frontman and jack-of-all-trades Chris Jericho, Dave Austin
(Nasty Savage), Ralph Santola (Death, Obituary, Testament, Iced Earth), Terry
Butler (Obituary, Death, Denial Fiend, Massacre), Greg Gall (Six Feet Under), Bill
Owen (Purgatory), John Mahoney (Fester) and Ben Meyer (Nasty Savage, Low Brow,
Gardy Loo)? You get Blood Divisions. Their self-titled EP is about as much a
cocktease as it gets at only a two-song clip, but at least both are covers, and
everyone loves covers, right? Blood
Divisions opens with the bands take on Nasty Savage’s nine-minute opus “The
Morgue,” a track that sees Jericho flex his vocal muscle, going from subdued
whispers and hushed refrains to snarling rebel yells and impassioned battle
cries (check the 7:05 mark). For long stretches of “The Morgue,” Jericho bows
out, allowing Blood Divisions’ army of skilled axe-wielders to take hold, and
they do not disappoint via rousing solos, chugging riffs and penetrating licks,
which bleed over into Blood Divisions’ cover of The Scorpions’ “Top Of The
Bill.” Here, the script of Blood
Divisions is flipped; opting for something a bit more frivolous in pure
‘80’s hard rock, a sound Jericho and crew are clearly comfortable wailing on. As
if this pair of tracks wasn’t good enough, a portion of the proceeds from EP sales
will benefit Rock & Rescue, a
charity helmed by acclaimed producer Jay Ruston, as well as the Warren County
Tennessee Humane Society. So how does the old saying go? Always leave them
wanting more? Mission accomplished Blood Divisions, mission accomplished.
Grade: B+
Go Download: “Top of The Bill”
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