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Metal Fighter marks the sixth full-length release from the German Hard Rock and Heavy Metal act Mass, and is really where the band starts to show more of a Heavy Metal/NWOBHM feel to their style of music. This time around, Mass has put together an album that not only feel solid and more like an actual full-length release from a professional band. Metal Fighter also proves to be a great representation of early Metal, and an album that deserves to be reissued. First of all, the album starts off with an actual introduction element to the album, though it feels greatly drawn out and serves no real purpose to the album as it doesn't really set up any kind of atmosphere or anything beneficial other then expanding the time of the album. Continuing with sounding as if this band were some kind of offspring between Judas Priest and even AC/DC, Mass winds up bringing in a somewhat original and more unique sound on this album. While the material here takes on a heavier Judas Priest sound then anything else remotely Hard Rock at the early tracks, the vocal performance here shows that the band is also moving more towards a unique Punk crossover sound that was mapped out on the prior few albums. Each song has a rather mid-tempo Rock feel, but the music is just heavier with some complexity in the guitars here and there, suiting solos, and just more attitude then anything the band had put out before, such as "Break Out" which is a catchy Metal anthem that also showcases the band's Punk intentions for Metal Fighter nicely. The latter of the album does still have a very Hard Rock feel to it, with many "anthem" based tracks throughout. "Night of Steel" still manages to capture a Heavy metal feel through the lyrics used on the song, but really seems to have a lighter feel to it musically. "Leaders Call" is another fantastic track that stands out on this release that really has a Hard Rock anthem element to it, as well as lyrics that actually speak out nicely for the band and their fans. However, one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album would be the cover of the track "Born to be Wild", which is just a lot of fun to listen to, and actually is heavier then the original, though it still flows at the same pace of the album and gives the song a slower progression. The guitars for the song, however, have a strong kick to them, and are far more melodic then the original track's, making for a nice little extra to the album to kick it off with, though "Leaders Call" would have also made a suitable closing track. 2010 Reissue Metal Fighter is also one of the albums that SPV is reissuing in 2010, which includes the bonus track "Don't Stop on Our Way". The song is clearly from the band's past and has the same cassette quality as the other songs taken from a cassette recording the band did prior to their debut full-length record. This nicely mastered track is actually a fun, simply Rock and Roll track that captures practically what the Rock scene was like in the seventies, having a bit of a hardened edge by the rougher vocal approach compared to the more cleanly sung vocals that appear on their previous releases. While it does contradict the natural flow of the album, it's definitely a nice bonus piece to this reissue. When it all comes down to it, Metal Fighter is a suberb album that captures the proper heaviness and spirit and of the earlier Metal sound and movement. This Heavy Metal and Hard Rock classic is by far one of the best Mass recording in their discography, and really shows the band's progression to a more unique, and more powerful sound nicely through the four reissues being made available in 2010. If you happen upon the release, it's worth picking up, or at least giving it a chance, as it's definitely a great piece of history as far as the progress of the style towards the NWOBHM is concerned, as well as a nice momento from the career of Mass. |
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