format: LP
year: 1986
country: USA
label: Shardan Kane Record Co.
#: SKRC 0010
info: Insert w/ bio + lyrics
style: Heavy Metal
Side A:
Side B:
"Crashing through the skiesYes! This album is about as dead-on, true, powerful HEAVY METAL as you'll possibly get. Not 'Power Metal', 'Speed Metal', 'Epic Metal', 'Heavy Rock' or even 'US-Metal' for that matter (at least not in the traditional sense), but the Metal handed down to us by in the beginning of time by the gods to cherish and to guide us on our path to glory. The only other American band I can think of that created something similar in terms of heaviness and minimal Heavy Metal refinement would be the early works of them oily chaps MANOWAR. We're talking fucking GRAND, heavy, pounding riffing and proud, swordclashing choruses here. "Serve Your Savage Beast" is the album acts like THOR, FAITHFUL BREATH or even HEAVY LOAD could have done if they, well, simply had been better songwriters and at least would have tried to live up to their berserkian Viking-images musically. There's not a weak song on the whole album apart from the seedy ballad "Love For A Day" they chose to squeeze in as the 2nd track on the album, but ballads doesn't count as songs, so there you are. (Frankly, 'ballad' is too strong a word to use for such a limpwristed piece of fluff that makes any greasy fm-rock tearjerker sound like NAPALM DEATH on a bad-hair-day.) I don't really know where to start dissecting this piece of hallowed steel. Every song has something really special to offer, the grace of the heavy and proud "Valkyrie", the bonechilling chorus of "What I Believe", the upbeat quirks of "Power Flight", the raw power of "Burning Rage" etc... Aw, just buy it - Buy It - BUY IT! Buy it NOW! And don't you dare let that corny cover art deter you! It's cool, damnit!
The battle raven cries
Valhalla open wide
Receive your token pride..."
Einen etwas zwiespältigen Eindruck hinterlies bei mir der erste Höreindruck von "Serve Your Savage Beast" von MALISHA. Hinter dieser Band bzw. Projekt verbarg sich Kim La Chance, die ehemalige Sängerin von VIXEN ("Made In Hawaii") die mit durchwegs No-Name Musikern ein Album eingespielt hat, das durch seine Vielfalt von unterschiedlichen Stilarten keineswegs als pures US-Metal Album angesehen werden kann. So stehen Akkustik Balladen (geniales "Love For The Day"), simple Rock Nummern und leicht progressive angehauchte Tracks neben eigenständigen Metal Schwarten, die vor allem auf Seite 2 ihre wahre Blüte entfalten. Hier sollte man sich wesentlich mehr Zeit nehmen und seine Lauscher ordentlich spitzen, dann wird sich "Serve Your Savage Beast" auch Euch als ein interessantes und eigenwilliges Metal Album erweisen. Leider besitzt diese LP ein grottenschlechtes Cover, das sicherlich auch dazu beigetragen hat, das der Preis noch immer bezahlbar ist, obwohl das Teil nur noch relativ selten auftaucht.