Charred Walls of the Damned: S/T

Hype. Probably the best description I can associate with Tim “The Ripper” Owens. When Rob Halford stepped away from Judas Priest, the hype for his replacement was none other than The Ripper. When Matt Barlow left Iced Earth, the hype returned with The Ripper filling in. The hype surrounding Yngwie J. Malmsteen looking for a singer? You guessed it. So what am I trying to get at? Well for starters, I enjoy Owen’s voice, I always have. I think Ripper era Priest was a respectable showing given the circumstances. I loved his work with Iced Earth, Beyond Fear and Winters Bane. So of course, when I learned that there was yet another band that would feature The Ripper, I was hyped. (See. I tied it all together). Jokes aside, I had no doubt that Owens could front another outfit, and I was excited to hear with Charred Walls of the Damned would offered.

Charred Walls of the Damned play a style I simply call, “Powerthrash”. It may not be an actual genre, but I view it much like Viking or Speed metal (descriptors rather than categories). Anyhow, the music on “Charred Wall of the Damned” reminds me of the style of Iced Earth; power metal to the core, but with enough heaviness and thrash elements to give it more grit than a standard power metal outfit.  The riffs chug along throughout the album providing a simple, yet powerful base, while creating some nice melodies and a few decent solos along the way. The drums provide a steady dose of double base and pounding strikes while the bass provides an excellent supporting role that any good album should incorporate. The Ripper’s voice may not be as high octane as I was expecting, but the song writing on this album did not call for endless Priest style wails (although he does wail often), so they are more than adequate. The production is spot on, highlight each musician’s talents while not overshadowing or phasing one out in favor of another. Songs like “Blood on Wood” and “Creating Our Machine” really show of the bands potential and are always a couple go to songs when I think of the band. So what’s my gripe?

Well, none really. I enjoyed Charred Walls of the Damned”, but I suppose due to the hype, I was expecting somthing more. This was the equivalent to going to a five star restaurant based on Zagat’s recommendation, getting a nice bottle of wine, the special of the day and a decadent dessert. Everything was set up to be a first class experience, but at the end of the day, the wine was just tasty, the meal was just filling and the dessert was just tasty. Not, mind blowing, but not regrettable either. Maybe I had set my expectations too high for this debut, or perhaps advertising did its job, but at the end of the day, I was just satisfied with an album I expected to be blown away by. I can’t say I was disappointed, as there is plenty to enjoy on this album, but I can’t I was impressed with what this “Supergroup” (another overly hyped term that I will no doubt, bring up in the future) had produced.

Highlights: “Blood on Wood” “Creating Our Machine” “From the Abyss”

Rating: 3