Shocking Its Prey

A kettle of vultures circle above the suncracked deserts of traditional metal waiting for trends to die. The Volture, meanwhile, has been swooping down to send some volts coarsing through those dying techniques. And as we all should know, defibrillator paddles don't start a stopped heart, but rather stabilize its irregular rhythm. So what I'm trying to say is, electric vultures are awesome and would make great paramedics.

Whether or not Municipal Waste members would make a good traditional metal band is a conclusion I'm struggling to reach, even after repeated spins of Shocking Its Prey. Despite the presence of gruff, thrashy breakdowns indicative of the guitarists' crossover roots, Hubbard and Waste now join forces with a kitschy falsetto vocalist to emphasize vibrant, headstrong hair metal. I'm usually not one to point out the obvious, but the ode to wanton consummation 'Cheap Thrillz' provides the best example of this peculiar hair/thrash hybrid.

But don't misunderstand me: I wouldn't describe these songs as thrash as a whole. If a thrash fan heard the glitzy, Saxon-style riffs of 'Heavy Metal Machine' described as "thrash", their scoff would be loud enough to shake the pillars of heaven. Rather, there's a certain punchiness to these tracks first commanded by early 80's pioneers of power thrash like Savage Steel and Tension. That being the case, there's an air of authentic messiness and imperfection within Shocking Its Prey that should appeal to discerning nostalgiacs.

After the ostensibly clear-cut speed metal stampede is done throwing all of its curveballs, Volture reveals it has one last ace up its sleeve... that turns out to be an Old Maid. While a brave attempt at capturing the atmosphere of 80's horror/opera metal, 'Heathen's Revenge' comes off as hopelessly quaint, with laughably cliché leads and undercooked riffs that overstay their welcome. It's a small terrier yapping at the two dobermans Helstar and King Diamond, confident it can take them both on.

But in keeping with that analogy, Volture must be commended for their gusto. Shocking Its Prey talks a big game, possibly bites off more than it could chew at times, yet still results in a fun, accessible EP I could recommend to the more risk-averse traditional metal enthusiasts.