Records
like this one really reminds me of the greatness of 80's Metal! At it's
best, it totally makes you forget the scene was once infested with pussy-arsed,
wimpy crap like CHARIZMA. ...No, let's be nice (like CHARIZMA, they're
"nice"). "The Knights" is a really good, fast power metal track. Like
the rest of the album it's drenched in an organ (uncredited for some reason),
but it doesn't mess up the sound in itself. "Free from the world" however
sets the pace of what is to be expected. Mellow, melodic, occationally
catchy, but with little or no real Metal-appeal for me to raise an interest.
If you haven't figured it out already, CHARIZMA is a White Metal band.
A REALLY White Metal band, or rather White A.O.R. band, with lyrix that
border parody. And they're brothers, all 3 of them (insert "duelling banjos"-theme
from "Deliverance" here). Like so many other bands of their sort, they
were most likely sponsored by some local church group to save the fragile
little minds of the Metal kids from all the evil VENOMs and MERCYFUL FATEs
of this world. Yeah, I bet they saved millions. Not. "God bless R'nR"
is their attempt at HELIX/TWISTED SISTER/80's KISS-style neo-glam-metal
anthem. Cute. "Try It" lights a candle in the dark though, to paraphrase
christian lingo. It's a surprisingly classy tune with a catchy, galloping
chorus. You kinda wish they'd made a single instead, with the opener on
the A-side and this one on the flip. It could have been a real gem. Or
they could atleast have removed some of the worst (no)power(whatsoever)
ballads and replaced them with songs like these. As of now it will really
only be of interest to the most hard-core Melodic/A.O.R./White-/Scanda-Metal
collectors. If TREAT rocked your world, if LEVITICUS were your favourite
Swedish metal band and you have no interest what so ever in the easy-to-find
CD re-release w/ bonustrax, then man you really have to get this album!
All you others will be better off with giving MERCY's "Witchburner" or
that groovy BATHORY-debut another spin and remember that
Satan
is the waddy-daddy of all Metal boys & girls. That's why it's called "Metal"
in the first place. You know, 5 letters, a "t" in the middle. God = pop.
The album is pretty rare as far as I know. I've only ever seen it once
in a store, but the demand is limited so I don't recommend paying more
than €50 or so for it. There's also a Tonpress (Poland, right?) pressing
available from '87, as well as a few later releases, one of which came
out on the Russian Melodia-label. It seems the band is still active. Go
here for
more info + soundbites.
In conclusion: "Rock the World" is an unoriginal album with weak vocals
and dull arangements that you luckily won't stumble upon by accident.
It's worth a mention though, thanx to half a handfull of good songs +
the fact that I've seen it on a few wantlists. File under "harmless".