Saviours - Accelerated Living

  by Andrew Carver

published: 8 / 11 / 2009

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Review

Back in the days of legend, heavy metal fans and punk rockers did not mix (except of course they did). But there was an alleged divide between the Satan-and-Yngwie Malmsteen worshipping hordes who cared about such things as pick sweeps and arpeggios and the spiky-haired louts who could only count to three when it came to guitar chords. Nowadays, legions of loud music lovers are happy to admit they like both Black Flag and Black Sabbath, and more than a few hardcore-meets-metal bands seem to be prepared to deafen anyone in a black leather jacket. Vancouver’s skatepunks turned metallurgists Bison B.C. are one such crew, and there’s another in Oakland’s Saviours. The band offers a tried-and-trued, street level sound that’s going to appeal to many fans of old school metal on their third album, ‘Accelerated Living’. ‘Acid Hand’ kicks things off with the squeal of overdriven guitars and the martial thump of drums. From there it’s on to nine songs of raspy singing, classic metal riffs and a sound that kicks along like a speedier Electric Wizard, a hardbitten Armoured Saint or a less doped up High On Fire. There’s very little danger you’ll hear anything new on ‘Accelerated Living’, but also zero danger you’ll hear anything dull, unless the whole concept of metal bores you. The album rocks without succumbing to hollow macho posturing or speeding up into incoherence. ‘Accelerated Living’ is a very solid outing from a band that’s shown both dedication and steady improvement since its debut.

Track Listing:-

1 Acid Hand
2 We Roam
3 F.G.T.
4 Livin' in the Void
5 Burning Cross
6 Slave to the Hex
7 The Rope of Carnal Knowledge
8 Apocalypse World Split
9 Eternal High