HELLRYDER
“The Devil Is A Gamler”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Hellryder are a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2020 by vocalist Chris Boltendahl – founding member of German heavy metal legends Grave Digger – and his Grave Digger band mate, guitarist Axel Ritt. The band are completed by drummer Timmi Breideband (Gregorian), and bass player Steven Wussow (Orden Ogan). The bands debut album ‘The Devil Is A Gambler’ was released in 2021…

…and is a fierce fury of “dirty kick ass heavy metal” (according to the band), spread across twelve songs over a forty minute play time. The four band members are well established in the metal world – so I guess you could call Hellryder a super group! I would just call ’em a fucking great heavy metal band. For the twelve songs on offer are all out, big and beefy, pure, and unadulterated heavy metal. The album explodes into life with the heavy rffing (self titled song) ‘Hellryder’ – a punchy, high kicking slab of aggressive heavy metal. It certainly sounds like Boltendahl and Ritt have left their power metal nuances with Grave Digger, and assumed the role of all out heavy metallers. And it really shows, as ‘Sacrifice In Paradise’ increases the pace and fairly scorches the Earth as it scurries forth, blazing a trail of fire. ‘Sacrific In Paradise’ is a head banger through and through, and this writers one man mosh pit is going crazy!

Melodic heavy metal takes front and centre with ‘Night Rider’, a thunderous foot on the monitor, highly head bang able gallop. The infectious level of ‘Night Rider’ is sky high, and the chant style chorus will be an amazing in concert, crowd sing a long. I can’t wait! The heavy hitting anthemic style of metal comes bursting out the speakers in the shape of the mighty title song ‘The Devil Is A Gambler’. A mid tempo head nodder, ‘The Devil Is A Gambler’ stands tall against anything bands such as HammerFall, Manowar, Powerwolf or Sabaton can do. So raise your fists high, chant (with the band) “the devil is a gambler”, and salute a bold anthem of majestic magnitude. Blistering pace returns in full flight for the high velocity ‘Jekyll And Hyde’ – Hellryder ploughing a deep furrow through heavy metal land. ‘Jekyll And Hyde’ is a mosh pit maker, drawing in metal heads from every corner of every venue, and forcing them to head bang violently.

Bringing back the sound of melodic heavy metal, ‘Faceless Jesus’ is a bombastic blast of foot tapping, foot on the monitor, mid tempo metal. The varying pace and tempo of the album is addictive, you don’t have a clue which direction you’re going in next – and that makes for a very interesting and intoxicating listen. Hitting the accelerator once more, ‘Chainsaw Lilly’ races off with a touch of the punk attitude that UK icons Motorhead (RIP Lemmy) brought to the metal genre. Hellryder are fairly motoring through their debut album, with only two of the twelve songs on offer stretching beyond the four minute mark! And with a title you’d normally reserve for a ballad, I’m glad (and relieved) to say, that ‘I Die For You’ is no where near a ballad…(insert happy emoji here). ‘I Die For You’ is a hustling, bustling, heavy hitter that keeps the breathless intensity of ‘The Devil Is A Gambler’ (the album) marching on.

And whoa, wait a minute! What the heck… That sounds like Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out’ – the first thirty seconds or so of ‘Bad Attitude’ is a dead ringer riffage resemlbing moment for sure. But when ‘Bad Attitude’ gets past its Alice Cooper moment, it continues the hustle and bustle of the previous song. The chorus is highly melodic and sing a long able, probably the most catchy of all the choruses on offer. Slowing the tempo down to a meaty foot stomp, ‘Passion Maker’ blends in a little of the sleaze metal genre, and sprinkles just a touch of the blues. The swagger of ‘Passion Maker’ is majestic, bold, and full of pride – the nearest the album gets to falling off the metal path…

…only for it to rocket back on track with the blistering high velocity gallop of ‘Harder Faster Louder’. The fastest song on the album by a country mile, ‘Harder Faster Louder’ is red hot, travelling faster than a bullet, enraged and full of anger, Hellryder are a metal monster. And unbelievably we arrive at the final song! Where has the last half hour gone? Into metal history that’s where. The debut album from Hellryder has exceeded all expectations, permanently etching itself into every metal heads brain. This is an album you won’t forget. The final song ‘I Don’t Wanna Die’, is actually a cover song, the original appearing on Ritt’s other band Domain’s second album ‘Before The Storm’, released in 1989. Hellryder keep to the pace of the original, but in keeping with the ‘The Devil Is A Gambler’s sound, beef it up a notch. What an album, and what an impact it has made.

Overall, a dose of unabashed and unadulterated heavy metal, from fast to mid paced songs, there is something here for everyone to enjoy.

TRACKLIST

Hellryder
Sacrifice In Paradise
Night Rider
The Devil Is A Gambler
Jekyll And Hyde
Faceless Jesus
Chainsaw Lilly
I Die For You
Bad Attitude
Passion Maker
Harder Faster Louder
I Don’t Wanna Die

https://www.hellryder.de/
https://www.facebook.com/hellryderofficial

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