KERRIGAN
“Bloodmoon”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Kerrigan are a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2019 releasing their debut album ‘Bloodmoon’ in 2023…

…featuring eight songs across a barnstorming forty one minutes! The band – formed by Bruno Schotton (guitars, bass) and Jonas Weber (vocals, guitar) and completed by Jonathan Doring (drums) – deliver traditional heavy metal with a massive “foot on the monitor” feel, the band heavily influenced by the iconic NWOBHM evolution and bands such as Wolf (UK), Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Heavy Load and Accept. ‘Bloodmoon’ explodes into life with the fast paced and highly head bang-able ‘Eternal Fire’ – stretching its legs as it hurtles across the land at breath taking speed! Kerrigan have just announced their arrival on the metal scene in the loudest fucking way possible, ‘Eternal Fire’ a raging storm of infectious, head turning heavy metal.

The title song ‘Bloodmoon’ maintains the albums exhilarating start, not with speed, but with an almighty anthemic styled foot stomp – the band adopting a little power metal into their traditional heavy metal roots. Germany is known worldwide for producing some of the very best metal bands in the world, Kerrigan having an immense legacy to live up to – the band making an incredible start. ‘Against The Westwind’ is a seven minute epic swagger, full of grandeur and elegance you’d associate with the legendary Iron Maiden – the British metallers famous for their long song masterpieces! Kerrigan have kept an in your face intensity since the album began, not an aggressive one, just enough to let you know the band mean business! And the business is heavy fucking metal!

Following the mid tempo thunder of the two previous songs, comes the ferocious pace of ‘Forces Of Night’ – an out and out head banger to get the adrenaline flowing and blood pumping! Mosh pits all over the world are gonna become a frenzied mass of energy, heads rocking back and forth at an extremely fast rate! ‘Forces Of Night’ is an incredible slab of heavy metal, a neck wrecker if ever I heard one! ‘Hold The Banner’ is majestic melodic heavy metal in the vein of British icons Saxon, a hard hitting nature melded with anthemic traits to deliver a mighty mid tempo foot stomp that’s all encompassing. Such swagger for a young band is phenomenal, Kerrigan making a worldwide audience immediately sit up and take notice of the German three-piece. ‘Child Of Sin’ takes off with gusto, melding a power metal feel with the traditional heavy metal gallop, the band planting their collective feet firmly on the monitor. The most infectious song heard so far, ‘Child Of Sin’ will have every listener, fan and follower smiling from ear to ear and raising clenched fists high in the air.

Blistering speed makes a welcome return in the shape of ‘Pull The Trigger’, pressing the pedal firmly to the metal and roaring down the autobahn! The band are in full flight here, banging heads wherever ‘Pull The Trigger’ is played or heard – an almost involuntary action ’cause the metal is so fucking addictive! Bringing the album to a close is the seven and a half minute long ‘Mesmerizer’ – a short, serene yet tension building intro giving way to a bombastic barrage of mid tempo power driven heavy metal! And for the first time, a real eighties metal feel oozes from the album, ‘Mesmerizer’ turning in a pace changing performance to keep listeners guessing which way the song will turn next!

Overall, a hard driving album of power and energy, ‘Bloodmoon’ is an infectious and head bang-able, traditional heavy metal romp.

TRACKLIST

Eternal Fire
Bloodmoon
Against The Westwind
Forces Of Night
Hold The Banner
Child Of Sin
Pull The Trigger
Mesmerizer

https://kerriganheavymetal.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Kerriganheavymetal

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