Customer Reviews

Crash and Burn

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Over the past 30 years Mat Sinner (Primal Fear, Voodoo Circle, Goddess Shiva) has established himself as one of the most reliable, consistent and indestructible sources of Hard Rock/Heavy metal Germany had to offer. Having made a triumphant comeback with "Mask of Sanity" in 2006, "Sinner" returns with another lucrative proposition in "Crash and Burn".

In comparison to its predecessor, "Crash..." is a much more optimistic and aggressive creation. Music wise the sound is no longer mid tempo with melancholic melodies, rather rock `n roll with catchy guitar lines and extensive use of wah wah pedal effects. Lyric wise "Sinner" is no longer "Under the Gun", but ready to "Break the silence" (track 2), determined to cause "Revolution" (track 5) and he is going to throw "Fist to Face" (track 8) to make it all happen.

Unquestionably the album has the "Sinner" trademark and thus characteristics we have come to expect from "Sinner". It just so happens that Mat decided to loosen up at parts and throw in some good, heavy, catchy rock `n roll which is all that fans need to get the party started!

"Power Play" (UK magazine) issue 103 marks this album with 9/10 commenting "From start to finish it is an absolute delight... is there any stopping this guy?"

I will admit that I have never been a huge Sinner fan, but that may change after Crash & Burn. This has to be one of the better CD's they have done in a while. There are moments on this disc where the songs remind me of Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy (two bands I like a lot). Even the Marvelous 3 cover (Little Head) is cool. The song Fist in Face is practically worth the price of admission all by itself. Is this CD worth buying? Absolutely. If you are a hard rock fan, you need to pick this up.

One of the metal scene's most reliable workhorses, Mat Sinner took a break from bass duties in Primal Fear to serve up the (count `em) 16th Sinner studio album, 2008's Crash & Burn. Like fellow Germans Rage and Axxis, Sinner cranks out completely solid and completely repetitive albums year after year with no apparent consideration of changing musical tastes. I can't help but admire the man's dedication to his core sound and his unwillingness to adapt to the latest trends, but it's a bit disappointing to see such a talented artist/band refuse to push the boundaries a little.

If you've heard even one Sinner album, you pretty much know what to expect from Crash & Burn. Sinner's sound draws heavily from both Judas Priest and Thin Lizzy, an odd combination that's evident in the way the fast and furious twin guitar attack is balanced by some very compelling melodies. Crash & Burn is a hard rock album that occasionally pushes into metal territory (see "Fist to Face" and "Heart of Darkness"). Those heavy tracks, alongside the melodic "Until it Hurts" and the so damned Thin Lizzy it hurts "Connection" are Crash & Burn's best songs.

It's always jarring to listen to Mat Sinner's gruff vocals after hearing Ralf Scheeper's Halford-esque screaming on a Primal Fear album, but that's not the only thing that sets the two bands apart. Primal Fear, as witnessed by their epic New Religion album, is making the best music of their lives, while Sinner sticks with the tried and true formula. Again, Crash & Burn is a perfectly decent hard rock album, but unlike what Mat Sinner is doing with Primal Fear lately, it's just not very noteworthy.

The bottom line is that if you're already a Sinner fan, chances are you'll like what you hear on Crash & Burn. If you're a Primal Fear fan interested in checking out Mat Sinner's other work, Crash & Burn is just as good a place as any to give Sinner a try. If for some reason you're expecting to find growth, progression, or anything other than a solid, workmanlike hard rock album, Crash & Burn will probably disappoint.