Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight

Buffalo, New York's Herod looks to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal icons of the '80s for inspiration to create their latest album "Rich Man's War...Poor Man's Fight". Trademark mid-range, heavy metal thundering guitars combined with "Somewhere in Time" Maiden style guitar harmonies and lead rhythms summarize the group's guitar sound. For a band that praises the virtues of classic metal, the guitar sound must be a top priority, and these guys are serious guitar players. Herod takes a journalistic approach to their guitar arrangements, pulling out the best riffs to open each track so they can "hook" in their listeners.

The first track on the album, "Assimilation" is a prime example of how the band wastes no time in busting out kick ass riffs. This track starts with an ode to Maiden that bridges into more Maiden type finger tapping or fret board picking. "One life to Burn" (nice pun) begins in a similar fashion with dual harmonies. The guitar duo soon breakdowns to vintage Heavy Metal bar chords, reminiscent of Motley Crue. "Lies and Betrayal" features my favourite guitar work with another melodious intro, this time with fewer notes and more emotion. This slow part picks up momentum with the band displaying their talent through solos that are part scale work and part string bending guitar screams. "Lies and Betrayal" is filled with exceptional guitar work exemplified through the galloping verse riff, tailored specifically for head bangers and fist pumpers.

Another aspect of classic heavy metal not lost upon Herod is the need for a remarkable front man. Jason Russo aptly fills that role. Russo has an extraordinary vocal delivery. During his most passionate moments, his vocals become more robust and seem to exhibit the same pitch of Blind Guardian's Hansi Kursch. If the conviction in Hansi's voice has ever moved you, Russo's vocals will mostly likely invoke the same feeling. The Hansi vocal traits are not his vocal limit, though. A friend of mine remarked on his vocals sounding like Ronny James Dio. I hear a little of that in his voice, but his other voices are hard to make comparisons. He has a tremendous high range and is able to hold his highest vocal wails for an astonishing amount of time without losing strength. "The Ring" is perhaps Russo's finest moment on the album, nailing several powerful, high pitch yowls.

Herod is a group of highly talented musicians playing a style of metal that is unabashedly "metal". They write memorable leads and harmonies and are fronted by a vocalist capable of standing toe to toe with the Dickinsons and Halfords of the heavy rock universe. I have no qualms at all with the group's talent, but certain moments come across a bit cheesy due to the referencing of '80s glam. Listeners of all-things eighties should have the ability to more easily embrace these moments, though.