Savage Messiah
Hands Of Fate – Century Media
Being a classic metal band these days is tough. The music you put out is naturally going to follow well trodden paths and there are a huge amount of acts out there so you don’t need to be good to survive, you need to be extraordinary. Enter Londoners Savage Messiah who for ten years now have plied their trade in metal waters under the guidance of founder Dave Silver. For a whole decade the band have not just survived but blossomed. Latest album Hands Of Fate in many ways is an apt title given how often a promising group slips beneath the waves. It’s also a fine example of just what makes a successful record. Its songs are structured beautifully, there’s enough personality to make this nothing other than a Savage Messiah album, and crucially the production is spot on. You have to also give a big thumbs up to Silver’s vocals too which are polished and powerful. Hands Of Fate shows that the traditional metal sound can still stir the soul and have you wanting to throw the horns.