Metallic Alps

Because I don't work today, it's not necessary to pack a lunch, but rather, a Wallop! (A preemptive wallop was packed last night after imbibement of a triple Kraken rhum-and-cannabis infused cola, but on with the review.) For this, we dust off ye ole DeLorean and head on down the chronoroute back to 1985, the year Pee Wee's Big Adventure traumatized the crap out of so many future-shocked metalheads, myself included. Okay then, what is Wallop, which is also so much fun to say?

Wallop is one of those rip van wrinkle bands which proffered a seizing, yet singular full-length album during heavy metal's golden age only to fall through the cracks of obscurity for decades before suddenly reappearing, gnome-like, with an ever belated but intriguing sophomore. This latent production subsists of dually named Alps On Fire EP and LP from 2019 and 2020. Due to further Covid caused obscurity, we might've never heard of this mountainous Germanic quartet, along with object of our nostalgia, the flipped through Metallic Alps, a sandpaper rough nine track vinyl under BoneBreaker Records (purveyor of further well-named heirlooms worth ganders).

On first listen, recommended by a fellow strong armed merchant of musical reports, the questionably called opener, "Running Wild", swept the rug under my feet thanks to tight and raw musicianship which harkens greatly to grandfathered acts such as Cities, Cerebus and Jaguar. As much as I wish to let fly usual Tank drop, will resist as front man Mick Wega's stridently slack and slippery low-mid range isn't quite Algy styled, sounding less like dyed in the coal NWOBHM and more like any of those grizzled Teutonic old timers long at the helm of their respective, oft speedy outfits.

Guitarist Andreas Lorz tricks into believing twin riffery and soloing is at play - notably during neo-classical lead intersecting "Reveal The Lies" - whilst the battery comprised of bassist Stefan Fleischer and drummer Stefan Arnold not only provide the low end drive needed to catapult their higher charges, but regularly mix in funky-as-Hell fills and surprises as well, whether at the end of a riff or simply out of the clear blue sky. Although most tracks ride winds of cool salutation, "Stealthy World" sticks out as a crunchily stiff and dour precursor to Slayer's 1990 gang hit "Seasons In The Abyss".

Except for sonic delusion, both wax sides supply old school thrills. Second wind sophistication punches through the summit's clouds as the rampantly footloose "Idols Die Too" and loudly yodeling "meisterstück" "Metallic Alps" burrow through metal's long living timeline. Other than saccharine acoustic intro to "69" (non winner of titular subtlety), Alpine Metal à la Wallop rules across the ages, to this ever existentially expensive day (when a lettuce head costs six bucks...).