Along with the recent Thrash revival, there has been a sudden surge in bands bringing Metal back to it's earlier NWOBHM roots. Volture is a five-piece Heavy Metal act based out of Richmond, Virginia, and the band brings back the traditional Heavy Metal sound of early Heavy Metal acts such as Judas Priest, leaving the band as a welcome addition to the Heavy Metal revival that is growing in popularity among newer acts, and for good reason. With today's musicians becoming stagnant, stereotypical, and only following in the veins of pioneers or bands that somehow are considered heroes of their style, it's time to clean house and remind everyone where they came from, and it's bands like these that seem to always issue promising, inspiring albums, and Shocking It's Prey is one of those releases.
Fans of this Heavy Metal revival may already be familiar with the band Volture, as this release comes off the heals of a split release with Enforcer, an act that shares a lot of similarities to this group. Volture's music carries the same stylish, 80's Heavy Metal sound with some similar glam sound, and a clean vocal style that is a higher pitch, though a little nasal and often can reach into a falsetto style, such as on the track "Heavy Metal Machine". The music on the release is about what you would expect from an early Heavy Metal act, having a good kick to it, sometimes blending in a feel of some of the more epic bands of the time, such as Iron Maiden, which can be heard on that same track, but also being a little more laid back. The production quality feeds into the overall stylish sound of the music the band plays, with guitars that sounds like they had distortion ripped directly from your favorite Heavy Metal release from the seventies or eighties, with great drumming that keeps the pace and doesn't try to overpower the guitars, and often can be rather simple, which is the case on"The Horde", which has a very simple drum performance against somewhat faster guitars that offer some complexity during the bridges and dual-vocals between standard singing and some near-falsettos, as well as some changes to the pace of the music. The change happens prior to the guitar solo, which also occurs on the first track of the release, "Volture".
There isn't anything bad with the album at all, really. Each track is consistent from one track to another, and many of the songs just vary with atmosphere. "Heavy Metal Machine" sounds like a clear throwback to the NWOBHM days with a little King Diamond influence here and there, while "Volture" and "Night Walker" have that vintage Heavy Metal vinyl-days feel to it. Then you have the track "Cheap Thrillz", which has more of an homage to the Glam Rock/Metal days going on, and is evidence both by the lyrics and overall attitude and atmosphere of the track, with an undeniable Judas Priest influence thrown in throughout. Of course, the closing track is the only one that seems a little off. "Heathens Revenge" has the same kind of stylish musical sound as the rest of the release, but there's a clear early Doom Metal feel to it, in the music and atmosphere, coming off as something one might expect from an early Candlemass recording. The song sounds great, and is helped greatly by the level of the bass in the recording, which stands out well throughout all the tracks on the release and adds a whole other layer to the music, but it simply sounds out of place and more like an experimental track for the band due to the previous five tracks.
Volture's debut Shocking It's Prey is a great homage to the days of vintage Heavy Metal with a slightly stylish kick. Throughout the album, you are given songs that vary through atmosphere, as well as the overall music itself, but there's nothing all that challenging or hard to swallow. The only downfall is the closing track, "Heathens Revenge", which, again, felt like more of an experimental track then anything, but still enjoyable. Shocking It's Prey makes for a release that Heavy Metal fans should definitely keep an eye out for, as it makes Volture a band to watch.
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