Mad Max
Interceptor
SPV/Steamhammer
2013
I dunno what’s going on through Michael Voss’ mind, who’s agreeably a very talented musician, singer and producer, but he’s pretty much ended up like a load of people that end up, doing a gazillion of sessions here and there, for better or worse. He’s now been on a load of bands like Mad Max, Casanova, Biss, Wolfpack, Demon Drive, etc. and has made countless other smaller contributions. Obviously one has got to do, what one has got to do, in order to make ends meet and as long as the quality of music doesn’t suffer who am I to complain!
Well I could argue that the much loved Casanova, has been dormant, for ages, presumably laid to rest? And Mad Max is not exactly the Metal beast it once used to be, being a lot more melodic these days, which ain’t necessarily a bad thing… but I suppose the decisive factor in liking an album or not is the songs. Granted production is pretty damn good as Voss, is a pretty damn good producer.
Opener “Save Me” is a mid-tempo melodic rocker that goes through various moods and shifts through some pretty impressive guitar themes, while Voss, sings very passionately over the lines. A really cool opening salvo.
“Godzilla” opens with a nice rocking riff and matter of the fact, has a nice build until it predictably, cocks up a bit, when the chorus arrives. I suppose the only “Godzilla” I ever liked and that was with half heart was BOC’s… J
On with the TV/Movie themes “Sons of Anarchy” must be inspired by the TV show, I guess and it’s a decent mid tempo rocking number with a cool riff and rough ‘n ready vocals, but nothing too special... even with some high pitched thrown in for dramatic effect... it doesn’t really manage to impress too much.
“Rock All Your Life” I suppose is a bit of a life recollection... and is a somewhat smoother number, with a punching rhythm, that’s quite reminiscent of mid era Def Leppard, one might be inclined to say.
“Five Minute Warning” is a ballad that is very soulful and heartwarming and worth a listen including a really cool if not a little short, harmony solo.
“Bring on the Night” ups the tempo a bit so as to get the blood pumping again and it’s somewhat successful, even if it sounds a little cabaret, in places, while in others it sounds genuinely rocking...
It’s part like musical, stage music and it’s rock/metal it has that weird “show” quality about it, maybe it’s the chorus... I dunno!
The intentionally misspelled “Streets Of Tokio” that pinches a tiny bit of WMGGW, is a diamond of a song, probably the best of the album, recalling the best of 80s rock, in the spirit of 80s scorpions with a bit of Dokken etc.! Pure awesomeness, a solo to kill for etc… it might get a bit of a loan, but the way in which it applies the beatlesque melody is simply “ingenious”...
“Show No mercy” ooer! (Covering who? The Slayer? WASP? hahha no, not really!) is a actually a pretty heavy and serious number, in the vein of Dio and WASP one could actually say, slow, ponderous, all about how, the Indians should be ruthless and show no mercy to the whites if they were to survive... quite dramatic.
“Revolution” ain’t a cover on the Beatles either, but a ballsy, heavy number about wanting to change things around ya.
Finally “Turn It Down” is a bit of a more of a sing a long – concert song that seems to be a bit of an inside joke too, about turning off the song that’s playing, admittedly quite a fitting song to place at the end of an album, right!? Haha!
Not the hottest Mad Max album, but then again, those came early on, but there are a couple of really good songs and Voss is always guaranteed to turn up some decent performances... fans will rejoice and follow but I think this is like preaching to the “flock” of converted. It’s unlikely that any new Maxx-ists will be joining the fight for melodic rock anytime soon, on the strength of Interceptor... oh and that awful cover… that ain’t an “Interceptor” Michael!
Well I could argue that the much loved Casanova, has been dormant, for ages, presumably laid to rest? And Mad Max is not exactly the Metal beast it once used to be, being a lot more melodic these days, which ain’t necessarily a bad thing… but I suppose the decisive factor in liking an album or not is the songs. Granted production is pretty damn good as Voss, is a pretty damn good producer.
Opener “Save Me” is a mid-tempo melodic rocker that goes through various moods and shifts through some pretty impressive guitar themes, while Voss, sings very passionately over the lines. A really cool opening salvo.
“Godzilla” opens with a nice rocking riff and matter of the fact, has a nice build until it predictably, cocks up a bit, when the chorus arrives. I suppose the only “Godzilla” I ever liked and that was with half heart was BOC’s… J
On with the TV/Movie themes “Sons of Anarchy” must be inspired by the TV show, I guess and it’s a decent mid tempo rocking number with a cool riff and rough ‘n ready vocals, but nothing too special... even with some high pitched thrown in for dramatic effect... it doesn’t really manage to impress too much.
“Rock All Your Life” I suppose is a bit of a life recollection... and is a somewhat smoother number, with a punching rhythm, that’s quite reminiscent of mid era Def Leppard, one might be inclined to say.
“Five Minute Warning” is a ballad that is very soulful and heartwarming and worth a listen including a really cool if not a little short, harmony solo.
“Bring on the Night” ups the tempo a bit so as to get the blood pumping again and it’s somewhat successful, even if it sounds a little cabaret, in places, while in others it sounds genuinely rocking...
It’s part like musical, stage music and it’s rock/metal it has that weird “show” quality about it, maybe it’s the chorus... I dunno!
The intentionally misspelled “Streets Of Tokio” that pinches a tiny bit of WMGGW, is a diamond of a song, probably the best of the album, recalling the best of 80s rock, in the spirit of 80s scorpions with a bit of Dokken etc.! Pure awesomeness, a solo to kill for etc… it might get a bit of a loan, but the way in which it applies the beatlesque melody is simply “ingenious”...
“Show No mercy” ooer! (Covering who? The Slayer? WASP? hahha no, not really!) is a actually a pretty heavy and serious number, in the vein of Dio and WASP one could actually say, slow, ponderous, all about how, the Indians should be ruthless and show no mercy to the whites if they were to survive... quite dramatic.
“Revolution” ain’t a cover on the Beatles either, but a ballsy, heavy number about wanting to change things around ya.
Finally “Turn It Down” is a bit of a more of a sing a long – concert song that seems to be a bit of an inside joke too, about turning off the song that’s playing, admittedly quite a fitting song to place at the end of an album, right!? Haha!
Not the hottest Mad Max album, but then again, those came early on, but there are a couple of really good songs and Voss is always guaranteed to turn up some decent performances... fans will rejoice and follow but I think this is like preaching to the “flock” of converted. It’s unlikely that any new Maxx-ists will be joining the fight for melodic rock anytime soon, on the strength of Interceptor... oh and that awful cover… that ain’t an “Interceptor” Michael!