Pericol de moarte

Voltaj is a band from the Eastern European rock/metal scene whose importance to said scene is often underestimated. The reason being that for decades (since Emil Constantinescu's presidency, to be precise), the name "Voltaj" is synonymous with ultra-commercial, ultra-glossy pop rock and many a listener is totally oblivious to the band's decidedly heavier roots in the 1980's. During that time, Voltaj had established themselves at the vanguard of Romania's nascent heavy metal scene; even though they were unable to secure an official release on state-owned label Electrecord due to their sound being too heavy for the communist regime's tastes ("The Party wants you to get a haircut, rocker"), they recorded independently and their music was nevertheless played on the radio and distributed as bootlegs, their popularity spreading via word of mouth. After many years of touring and several lineup changes, Voltaj released their first official album, "Pericol de Moarte", in 1996. Sporting a mix of newer compositions and oldies from their 80's recording sessions, this marks the first and only full-length by Voltaj that qualifies as heavy metal.

Sound-wise, production is a bit on the raw side for the mid-90's (budget constraints?) but the band is still able to make the most of it. I'm not a fan of production that mixes the vocals too far in the background compared to the instrumentation, fortunately this isn't an issue on the totality of the release. Plus, you can actually hear the bass so one has to take the good with the bad.

The musical aesthetic is a mix of the old school heavy metal sound of the 80's as can be heard on the outstanding album opener and closer, with some 90's influence on tracks such as "Arșița nopții" and its subtle notes of Aerosmith. The guitarist duo of Gabi Constantin and Adrian Sârbu had some definite skill and it is put at the forefront as soon as the album kicks off with "Cenușă și diamant". In spite of its title translating to "Ashes and Diamonds", it apparently has no connection to the Polish film of the same name; rather, its lyrics establish it as the song upon which I bestow the honor of most badass metal tune ever written about cranes in flight. Maybe there is a folk metal band somewhere in China singing about that same subject matter, but "Cenușă și diamant" will retain that honor until further notice. The aggressive guitar combines well with the rough yet melodic vocal delivery of singer Tavi Colen. The song cements itself as a choice cut thanks to its more elaborate and memorable guitar solo; we don't get such solos on every track so they stand out when they do occur, such as on tracks 7, 9 and 12. The 80's sound is strong with these ones. The aforementioned sound is contrasted by the more low-tuned and chugging guitar heard on "Siberia", accentuating the menacing subject matter as opposed to the energetic and life-affirming tone of the opener, but such variety is welcome as it prevents the album from sounding uniform and monotonous. There's even some humor to be found, such as on "Armata" and its tragicomical take on completing your military service.

Much of the best material seems concentrated on the album's second half. "Voi fi din nou al tău" has an infectious energy to it, a real toe-tapper. "Nori de hârtie", the first song Voltaj ever wrote, has that optimistic and innocent sound characteristic of early 80's Eurometal. "Ce va urma" stands out by its more melancholic tone and heartfelt delivery by the vocal and guitar sections. Arguably the strongest showing on this album is "Erou", another military-themed song that deals with Romania's Eastern front during World War 2. With "Pericol de moarte" serving as a theatrical intro complete with a wartime soundscape and Marshal Antonescu's radio address to the Romanian Army, "Erou" stands out as the heaviest track on here musically and lyrically. After a speedy guitar bridge, things slow down and we get the most memorable part of the album from where I'm standing in the form of an excellent solo, the Iron Maiden influence being palpable here. "2 Minutes to Midnight" comes to mind along with dashes of "Transylvania". Voltaj could've released an entire album of war-themed music and it would have cemented itself as a timeless classic, but it was not meant to be.

And thus ends Voltaj's gift to metal. A sound that the band would never revisit, as they would radically change their style to electronica-influenced rock one year after the release of "Pericol de Moarte". The band's core members, namely bassist Vali Ionescu and guitarist Gabi Constantin, wanted Voltaj to sell records and make big money. And their gambit paid off in remarkable fashion as they became one of their country's most commercially successful bands during the following years. So while Voltaj's professional path might mirror that of Nickelback (simultaneously highly-successful and highly-maligned sellouts, with hard-edged beginnings remembered only by nostalgic oldheads), "Pericol de Moarte" deserves not to fade into obscurity on account of the historical value it represents to the Romanian metal scene.

Standout tracks: Cenușă și diamant, Voi fi din nou al tău, Nori de hârtie, Ce va urma, Erou