Customer Reviews

Deal With the Devil

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Eight years after splitting up (11 since the last studio effort), LA shock rocker Lizzy Borden returns-- bigger, badder, and bolder than ever with the new full length, 'Deal With The Devil' (Metal Blade, 2000). For those unfamiliar, imagine the shock of vintage Alice Cooper, combined with the big arena flair of KISS, and the polished, 2-guitar stylings of Iron Maiden. As a singer and live performer, few are as gifted and charismatic. As a writer, Lizzy Borden continues to push the boundaries, forever seeking new ways to cement his reputation as one of metal's most underrated (if not diabolical) talents. From the early Maiden-inspired classics 'Give 'Em The Axe' and 'Love You To Pieces', to the glam-era 'Visual Lies', and 1989's ambitious concept album, 'Master Of Disguise', complete with string sections, horns, and larger-than-life production, the only thing predictable with Lizzy and Co. is that anything goes in rock n' roll. All this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the latest studio offering combines elements of every Lizzy Borden LP to date, with new, modern touches to bring the band into the next decade--even if they did skip the last one. A good move, considering they have a little catching up to do with fans that probably figured they were gone for good. 'Deal With The Devil' boasts Lizzy's most formidable studio lineup to date, consisting of 5 guitarists, 3 bass players, and a host of other talented guest musicians, as well as the return of guitarist Alex Nelson, of early LB fame. The LP springs to life with opening tracks 'There Will Be Blood Tonight' and 'Hell Is For Heroes', throwbacks to the up-tempo barnburners of early Lizzy. 'We Only Come Out At Night' is arguably the most 'new' sounding track of the bunch, with a slight industrial edge to complement what may well be the most crushing riff on the disc. (Interesting note-- this track was featured in the band's early 90's live set, but was never available on record, having been written in the short space between the last studio effort and their 1992 breakup.) Also featured is the curious but appropriate Alice Cooper cover 'Generation Landslide'. All told, nearly 50 minutes of 'typical' Lizzy Borden-- well performed, well produced, edgy and unpredictable, combining all the best elements of 70's and 80's arena rockers with the intensity and energy of a band that's had several years to contemplate what could have been. Newcomers beware!

Deal with Devil (2000) was the first Lizzy Borden studio release in a little over a decade following their brilliant Master of Disguise (1989). When I first listened to this CD, I was disappointed. There were only a couple songs that stood out and the rest just didn't seem to have the same edge as previous Lizzy albums. While most Lizzy albums hooked me right away, this one took several listens to appreciate. Now I consider Deal with the Devil a very good album, not as accessible as Love You to Pieces or as sophisticated as Master of Disguise, but a very good album in its own right with its own accessibility and sophistication as well as the characteristic Lizzy sound.

"There Will Be Blood Tonight" was one of the tracks that I liked right away. Lizzy usually saved some of their best rockers to start their albums and that is certainly the case here. This may be the most accessible track on Deal. It is very energetic and catchy with an excellent chorus. "Hell is For Heroes" is another energetic rocker with a very memorable chorus. The title track I have mixed feelings about. It really rocks and it has a great beat, but it teeters on a more good time rock `n roll style that I do not like as much. It never strays completely from the heavy metal side though, which is good, but the lyrics really break down at the end (rhyming "devil" with "on the level" and "shovel" is silly but at least the track begins to fade out at that point). "Zanzibar" was the other track that grabbed me right away. It is the most interesting and innovative number on the CD. It has a Middle Eastern influence and a mysterious mood. The overall sound and vocals are intoxicating at times. There is a lot of depth to it but it is still very catchy. It would have fit on Master of Disguise very well. "Lovin' You is Murder" brings things down again with a very accessible, catchy rocker. It offers menacing guitar and vocals at the beginning and then Lizzy opens it up to his usual vocal style and a sing-along chorus. It is another one of my favorites on this album.

"We Only Come Out at Night" is a very menacing track. It has an industrial sound. "Generation Landslide" is a straight-forward rocker but a bit annoying with the "lada da tadie" or whatever they chant (sounds like a wicked Jimmy Durante). "The World Is Mine" has a menacing opening but the chanting at the chorus is a little much. "State of Pain" is a nice, accessible rocker. I like the vocals on this track, especially at "so here we are..." I find myself singing along to this one. Next they offer a cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "(This Ain't) the Summer of Love." When I first heard it I thought, this sounds familiar and then, right before the chorus, I figured out where I heard it before (on the only BOC album I have). While Lizzy does their usual stellar work on it, it seemed out-of-place then and it still does. They play it straight and do not add their own style too much, although they add more energy to the track. The last track, "Believe" begins with a pleasant guitar riff and I thought for a moment it was a cover of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." It is a slower track but is very powerful with a lot of depth and picks up the tempo at the chorus. The beautiful guitar work reminds me of Metal Church back in the day.

This album took awhile to pull me in but, now that it has, it spends a lot of time in my CD player. There is much variety here, from Lizzy's many vocal styles to the overall moods of the tracks. I definitely recommend Deal with the Devil to any fan of Lizzy or power metal in general from the 1980s. Fans of Lizzy should not hesitate to pick this CD up. It combines more accessible tracks with the more orchestrated numbers to form a solid album for the new Millennium. I hope Lizzy can release another album or two before the decade is out.

I hate being wrong about something, especially when it's about a metal band or artist. I have to admit I was wrong about Lizzy Borden. After hearing one of hist first albums and witnessing his performance in the film Decline of Western Civilization Part 2 - the Metal Years, I had written Lizzy off as a cheesy, non-serious act that wasn't worth my time. Listening to Deal with the Devil (and it's predecessor Master of Disguise) I realize that I totally misjudged Lizzy & co.

This is a solid, mature, better-than-average metal album that falls somewhere between traditional and power metal. Over and over again I was reminded of a cross between Armored Saint and Queensryche (the good Empire-era Queensryche too, not their later day crapola), mostly due to the versatile vocals of band leader Lizzy Borden. The songs are well-crafted and have plenty of great riffs.

I am definitely glad I gave this band another try, and would easily recommend Deal with the Devil to most metal fans, particularly those who enjoy Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Iced Earth, and similar bands.

Deal With The Devil is an excellent CD! This is the first Lizzy album I've listened to, but I will certainly be picking up more. Lizzy is extremely entertaining and there's a lot on CD to appreciate. Plenty of great hooks, riffs, great lyrics, fantastic packaging, and those AMAZING vocals. The reviewer that said Lizzy thumbs his nose at Heavenly ideals missed the whole point of the album. That's not true. Yo dude listen to it again. Some people just don't get it, but this is an excellent CD.

I am always nervous to buy a new album of my favorie artists. But as usual with Lizzy Boredom, I was again amazed by his superior vocals and writing style. Beyond excellent musicianship. I esp. enjoyed Zanzibar and We Only Come Out at Night, 2 songs a little diff. from Lizzy's past. I recommend this album to any metal fan. It's Lizzy, as usual, at his best. And his best is better then anyone elses.

It's cool that Lizzy Borden has released a new album after all these years. Deal with the Devil is a pretty good and listenable disc. Almost all the material is in a straightforward hard rock musical direction. Also, there are no ballads included. There's a total of 11 tracks, and a couple of them are cover tunes--those being "Generation Landslide" from Alice Cooper and "(This Ain't) The Summer of Love" from Blue Öyster Cult. The album's musicianship is tight and precise, while the songwriting and production are good. Various musicians play on the album. The guitar playing throughout is talented and energetic. There are some cool guitar riffs and well-constructed solos. Joey Scott does a really nice job with the drums, too. Lizzy Borden's vocals are just as cool as they were on past albums. He's truly a unique and dramatic vocalist, and I've never heard another singer that even resembles him. The background vocals are also satisfying throughout. Some of the tracks that I like are "Hell Is for Heroes" and "The World Is Mine." Two songs that are somewhat different from the others are "Zanzibar" and "We Only Come Out at Night." "Zanzibar" is an interesting straight-ahead hard rocker that contains some light experimentation. A sitar is played by guitarist Alex Nelson. The sitar provides an exotic atmosphere. "We Only Come Out at Night" is a heavy tune that's in an industrial metal musical direction. It's a good track, and the guitar playing is thick and metallic. The CD booklet contains the lyrics to nine of the songs--lyrics aren't included for the two cover tunes. The song lyrics and the cover art are interesting. Anybody that's been a fan of Lizzy Borden in the past should find Deal with the Devil to be an energetic and pretty good album--it's quite similar to the other releases. Worth a listen.

It's become clear to me that there are Lizzy Borden fanatics, there are those who say, "Lizzy who?", and there are those who can't stand him. Of course, there's me, who thinks Lizzy Borden makes good, solid albums, often with 1-4 songs that absolutely rock, and a bunch of songs that are unmemorable.

Lizzy's newest disc in 9 years is just such an album. The opener, "There Will Be Blood Tonight," kicks things off in high fashion, with screaming guitars and a melody that comes so easily, I couldn't believe I was listening to a Lizzy Borden album. "Hell Is For Heroes" continues the trend, bringing to mind an era when metal songs were simply a good way to bang your head and just enjoy yourself. "The World Is Mine" simply shreds, an instant metal classic, full of haunting rhythms, driving drum beats, and a whiny, nearly bratty vocal sound. And "Deal With the Devil" is a big time HEAVY metal sound, full of classic 80s style guitarwork and shouted vocals.

On the other hand, both of the "experimental" songs ("Zanzibar" and "We Only Come Out At Night") just failed to capture me. The former has this wacky Arabic-flavored beat and feel to it, and the latter is just way too industrial for me. Great riffing, but god I hate the overall style. The covers are cool enough though. Not being familiar with either of the originals, I don't know how they compare, but the Alice Cooper tune, "Generation Landslide," is full of melody and driving Zeppelin-ish guitars and drums.

The rest is mostly forgettable. Cool album, especially considering it's the band's first in nearly a decade, but I'm not sure how much I'll be revisiting it 6 months from now.

I have been a huge, and I mean huge, fan of Lizzy Borden since their first full-length release, "Love You to Pieces" was released as I was entering High School. They have a unique sound, crisp, decipherable and piercing vocals and an underrated drummer in Joey Scott Harges( is he Lizzy's brother?) not to mention the killer guitar harmonies and memorable leads. Additionally, each song from each album is a quality piece of work, there is no filler in this CD nor in any other Lizzy Birden release but the band has NEVER received the credit it deserves and this is my attemot, however small, to communicate to you, the discerning hard rock/metal fan to give this group a chance to earn it's right to regularly enter your playlist. Please listen to their albums from beginning to end it you want to experience their true majesty. Once you do, believe me, they will be a become a permanent fixture on your headphones.

The guy beneath me gives everything a three, this album is better then that! If you like his old material, you will dig this! Good songs/riffs and Lizzy's unique voice!

Having apparently made a pact with Satan for his eternal soul, Lizzy seems to be in no hurry to expedite his career progress. "Deal With The Devil" is so identical to material released by Borden during his 80s (semi) heyday that it could very well be a collection of unreleased demos. The production certainly gives nothing away. Stuck in that decade old rut of flattened bass and gutted treble, we are left with nothing but midrange, which is meticulous to be sure, but nonetheless is saddled with a well intentioned pre-defeat. Evidently this was planned and not accidental, as the liner notes state the entire album was recorded in Pro Tools, which rules out the possibility that the band just plugged in their old equipment and dusted off the mixing board.

But I guess certain people have intensive fascinations with antiques for a reason, and "Deal With The Devil" does bear it's share of faded treasures. Despite the ready made lack of luster, "Hell Is For Heroes" reminisces on the days when you could thumb your nose at Heavenly ideals without being considered a pagan extremist, and "Believe" takes another stab at the dried up corpse of the power ballad. But pound for pound, Lizzy Borden comes off as an aging welterweight, a few trick punches up his sleeve but not much bounce in his step.