BAD MARILYN
“Eye Of The Snake”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Bad Marilyn are a power metal band from Switzerland formed in 2023 releasing their debut album ‘Eye Of The Snake’ in 2024.

Armed with twelve highly infectious songs across fifty four pulsating minutes, ‘Eye Of The Snake’ features a wide array of metal music – from power to traditional to a little thrash and even a bit o’ death! Bad Marilyn deliver a genre hopping, border breaking album of incredible diversity, ‘Eye Of The Snake’ definitely one of those albums where you’re gonna find something for everyone – and by everyone I mean every metalhead and mosher in the world! Bad Marilyn – comprising Armin Schopfer (drums), Sammy Lasagni (guitar), Andrea Raffaela (vocals), Andri Leonardo (keys) and David Craffonara (bass) – take no prisoners whatsoever, swashbuckling their way across metal territory, crushing everything and everyone in sight with pace, power and immense bombast…

…the album storming into life with the heavy hitting ‘I Die Inside’. And when I say heavy hitting – I mean heavy! Fucking heavy! The band hit heavy with a mighty Pantera-like groove, the snarling vocals of lead singer Raffaela taking me a little bit by surprise! Yet as ‘I Die Inside’, the vocals lose the snarl and take on more traditional metal roar – the singer showing a very wide range. And we’re only one song in! A sensational start to the bands debut album, becomes a sensational one-two start – the title song ‘Eye Of The Snake’ maintaining the previous songs groove metal feel. Yet the band up the ante with regards to power metal, an emphatic oomph taking over the airways as Bad Marilyn display a weighty European feel akin to iconic bands such as Iron Savior, Primal Fear and Sabaton. ‘Eye Of The Snake’ (the song) is infectious to the max, head bang-able too, the band creating a perfect moment for every metalhead everywhere – ‘Perfect Moment’ striding in with more pace than both the two previous songs put together! And at one minute in the band hit the brakes hard, adopting a mid tempo swagger that hits just as hard as everything heard so far, ‘Perfect Moment’ picking up the pace as the chorus storms in with a massive melodious intent. Not to mention its sing a long ability too – off the fucking charts!

What a glorious threesome to begin with – makes you wonder how good the rest of the album is gonna be after such a sensational start! Well wonder no more, for ‘Retribution’ enters the fray like a power metal version of the doom heavy style of metal by legends Black Sabbath – for all of the first fifty seconds! And then an incredible surge of speed sees ‘Retribution’ roar off at high velocity, the snarling vocals making an electrifying return! Even going as far as growling too – Raffaela showing just how wide her vocal range is! And for those metalheads like me who have long memories, we’ve had songs such as ‘Children Of The Grave’ (Black Sabbath), ‘Children Of The Revolution’ (T. Rex), ‘Children Of The Damned’ (Iron Maiden), and more recently ‘Children Of Chaos’ (Jaded Star) and ‘Children Of The Sun’ (Matterhorn). Well get yourselves ready for ‘Children Of Tomorrow’ – a much rockier feel descending upon the album, Raffaela’s vocals taking on a melodic rock roar! And as for ‘Children Of Tomorrow’, it’s another one of those genre hopping songs, the band melding heavy metal with hard rock to superb effect! Rockers and metallers in every corner of the world are gonna come together for this one, both singing “we are the children of tomorrow” in hearty unison! What a song! And what a band! And what an album too – an album that’s not even half way through yet! Although ‘When She’s Gone’ does mark half way – Bad Marilyn maintaining their impressive entry into the world of heavy metal by bringing the classic gallop of traditional metal to the fore. I tell ya readers, ‘Eye Of The Snake’ (the album) is surely gonna take this years titles of Best Debut Album and Best Newcomer. And possibly Album Of The Year too!

And with no let up in intensity, power and pace, the album moves into its second half with the barnstorming ‘Revolution’, the band roaring loudly across the chorus break at full throttle – the vocals of Raffaela continuing to amaze and stun! Metal, rock, death growl and snarl, she has ’em all! I wonder what her normal talking voice is like? ‘Legend Of Salvation’ returns the mighty anthemic foot stomp to the fore, but with a soaring symphonic metal edge and angelic vocals! Is there no vocal style that Raffaela can’t sing? I reckon not – ‘Eye Of The Snake’ (the album) moving stealthily on with the eerie, spine tingling ‘Queen Of Thunder’. And when ‘Queen Of Thunder’ gets going at around forty seconds in, we’re treated to the most emphatic foot stomper the album has to offer – the ground shuddering under the immense force exuded by the band! Walls are gonna be shaking and buildings crumbling as ‘Queen Of Thunder’ rolls on by, every listener everywhere holding on for dear life as Bad Marilyn rock everything to its foundations!

With the intensity still at full strength, ‘Eye Of The Snake’ (the album) marches on with the up tempo and highly energetic ‘Eternal Pain’, the band oozing an almighty jack hammering style of metal – yet still with all the melodious intent heard everywhere else! Bad Marilyn are delivering one of the best albums of the year (so far), ‘Eye Of The Snake’ (the album) just getting better and better! And if there’s one album from this year that you should listen to – this is it! So what are you waiting for? Go get your copy now, available online at Bad Marilyn’s Bandcamp – click here. And at over five minutes in length, ‘We Will Rise’ is the only song out of the twelve on offer to stretch past that mark, the band losing none of the impetus and momentum of the album up to this point. ‘We Will Rise’ is an eclectic mix of pace, power and mid tempo passages, ‘Eye Of The Snake’ (the album) heading for its finale with an unwavering infectious nature and an attractiveness greater than neodymium magnets – recognised as the strongest magnets in the world! The final song on offer, is the self titled ‘Bad Marilyn’ – and who do we know that forty four years ago also ended their debut album with a self titled song? A song that the band still perform today, signalling the end of a live performance and the appearance of the bands mascot Eddie! Yes that’s right readers – heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden. As for Bad Marilyn, only time will tell if the band are gonna enjoy the same longevity as metal legends ‘Maiden – but they’ve certainly made the same mighty impression ‘Maiden did back in 1980! And I should know ’cause I was there! As for ‘Bad Marilyn’, it’s an anthemic hymn-like power ballad of the most emphatic nature that’s gonna have everyone’s jaw hitting the floor with an almighty thud! What a superb ending to a superb album.

Overall, an immensely infectious and attractive power metal swagger, Bad Marilyn have delivered a sensational debut album.

TRACKLIST

I Die Inside
Eye Of The Snake
Perfect Moment
Retribution
Children Of Tomorrow
When She’s Gone
Revolution
Legend Of Salvation
Queen Of Thunder
Eternal Pain
We Will Rise
Bad Marilyn

https://www.bad-marilyn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BadMarilyn/

This review is the property of Iron Mathew, Frenzy Fire, Metalmessage, and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities

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