First Strike Still Deadly

Ninth album? Compilation album? Whatever it is, whether it was necessary to record this album, it exists. First Strike Still Deadly features the returning drummer John Tempesta, but obviously that’s not all. Alex Skolnick is back! Hope restored. AND, quite the surprising featuring, the very original vocalist, back in Legacy, Steve “Zetro” Souza is in two songs. The band recorded this album before or after Chuck had to overcome the cancer he unfortunately attracted. This is also the last so-called album before the band reunited in the studio to release their 2008 album The Formation of Damnation.

So this record features re-recorded versions of songs from the band’s first two records/Legacy demo. First Strike Is Deadly, Burnt Offerings, Over the Wall, The Haunting, and Alone in the Dark from The Legacy. Then you have Into the Pit, Trail by Fire, Disciples of the Watch, The Preacher, and the titular The New Order. Reign of Fire, originally recorded with Steve and later recorded during The New Order sessions, here the band recorded the song again in a different tuning. This goes for the entire album, tuned a full step down to D standard.

The Legacy re-recorded songs: these songs don’t do any justice and they’re simply heavier, lacking the actual power delivered in the originals. Chuck’s high screams being nonexistent, though he tries to stay faithful to his cleaner style of vocals as he showed in his prime. The music itself, due to being in lower tuning, doesn’t sound that good. At least the bass sounds great, but only in Over the Wall. The re-recorded title track at least sounds melodically rich in tone and overall being the best re-record song that the band offered from The Legacy.

The New Order re-recorded songs: I never liked The New Order and Into the Pit. I find them to be the weakest songs from the original record. The re-recorded versions sound groovier in comparison and slightly worse. So I’d say they’re just terrible songs. I’m so glad they didn’t re-record A Day of Reckoning because it’s my favorite song from The New Order. Other than The Preacher, the rest of the songs are badly affected. These re-recordings didn’t do any justice either. Yes, there’s more bass in them, but that’s not the only factor to make a re-recorded song sound great, or justifiable.

Steve’s songs: I always said Alone in the Dark is the more traditional heavy metal song from the band, but this version doesn’t even beat Steve’s original version. The lower tuning just ruins it. He also sounds pretty damn annoying, but I blame the composition, not him. As for Reigns of Terror, it will wreak havoc on you no matter which version of the song you're listening. The tuning isn’t so bad here. Steve and the rest of the crew did an excellent job. The guitar solo was mildly disappointing and could have made the song sound even better (unless that’s just how it sounds in D standard).

At least one of the three “categories” I created there’s one song that’s worth checking out. One thing for sure, I’m glad Alex is back, and having Steve back for two songs alone shows the respect between the old and current members; like a big family. But all that didn’t really help in recording a proper record. Instead, he band decided to re-record their first two records’ material which didn’t sound the best. There’s potential in few of these songs, but the best are the so-called title track, The Preacher, and Reigns of Terror.