The Rivalry

Actually (to make a small correction to the review before mine) "The Rivalry" is released BEFORE "Victory" - so this one can be classified as the last good Running Wild album - after that the band sadly slides down into mediocracy very quickly...

Basically what you get on here is, musically, a watered down version of "Black Hand Inn". Every single Running Wild trademark is here (the instrumentl intro for example - the instantly recognisable riffs and voice) but somehow it doesn't quite impress as much as during the "early 90's" phase of the band. Also, the production is a bit thin and dry at time - not bad - but certainly not able to withstand comparission with "Pile Of Skulls", "Black Hand Inn" or the thunderous "Masquerade" (which Imo had one of the most powerfull productions so far on a Rw release).

Most of the songs are quite decent, with a handfull of highlights such as the titeltrack, the speedy "Adventure Galley" and the two "epic" tracks "Fire & Thunder" & "War & Peace". The rest isn't quite as strong, but still good enough to make the album an enjoyable trip for every Running Wild fan...

If you're new to the band - you're probably better off checking out either "Pile Of Skulls" or "Black Hand Inn" out first...