Bare Knuckle Messiah's 'That Which Preys on the Dead' - Album Review

While many of the album reviews featured on this blog are from bands who have been around for a long time and have created a large discography, I always particularly enjoy reviewing debut albums from newly-formed acts. As much as I keep up with the rock and metal scenes, reviewing bands' debut albums seems to be a relatively rare activity for me - so I always jump at the chance to do so when one drops. The subject of this particular piece is Bare Knuckle Messiahs, a four-piece Welsh metal band who were launched at the very back end of 2017. Although being a newly-formed band, three of Bare Knuckle Messiahs' members actually have history with each other, as all three were members of the Welsh hair metal act Tigertailz during the mid-1990s. The driving force behind the band is singer and guitarist Kim Hooker who fronted Tigertailz between 1988 and 1996, and then again between 2005 and 2012. While he was not the band's original singer, Hooker is probably Tigertailz' best-known frontman - even going so far as to appearing on the cover on their 1990 album Bezerk. It is the album that followed Bezerk however that is the basis for Bare Knuckle Messiahs however, as by 1995 Tigertailz were quite a different band. With hair metal far less popular than it had been when they started, Tigertailz took their sound in a much heavier direction and, after some line-up changes, released the Wazbones album. Hooker and the late bassist Pepsi Tate remained from the earlier Tigertailz line-ups, with guitarist Cy Danahar and drummer Andy Skinner rounding out the line-up. Wazbones was easily the toughest and heaviest that Tigertailz had ever sounded, but a year later the band had gone their separate ways - and since their 2005 reunion they have returned to their hair metal roots. Since Hooker left Tigertailz in 2012, he has been largely out of the scene. The announcement of Bare Knuckle Messiahs marks his return to the metal world, but instead of returning to hair metal he has decided to revive most of the Wazbones line-up of Tigertailz and continue down the heavier route that that album forged. Danahar and Skinner have joined Hooker in this new venture, with bassist JJ, who is veteran of the Welsh rock scene, rounding out the band. The band's debut album, That Which Preys on the Dead, which was released last month, has been in the making for a while and I am sure the band are happy to finally get it out there for the fans. I recently also saw the band's first ever show, as they support Y&T at a gig in Cardiff at the beginning of the month - debuting some of these new songs along with some old Tigertailz numbers. Soundwise, That Which Preys on the Dead seems to continue where Wazbones left off 24 years ago, albeit with an altogether more modern sound and production style. It is a fairly heavy album, but one that is also packed full of strong melodies and catchy riffing.

Anyone wishing for more Wazbones will immediately be drawn in my album's opening song Spit in Your Eye, which is a hard-hitting modern metal track with a catchy, poppy chorus. It actually opens with a retro, Van Halen-esque lead guitar pattern from Danahar, with Skinner's driving double bass drumming, but soon explodes into a groove-based pacey rocker with Hooker's tough vocals hanging everything together. Many of the tracks here are pretty snappy - the album is under 45 minutes long after all - but that really helps them to stick. Spit In Your Eye is one of the album's best however in my opinion, and this is partly down to the chorus which sounds like it could have been on Wazbones 24 years ago. Hooker actually sounds a bit like his old self during the chorus, with some higher harmonies, but throughout the rest of the song he sounds heavier and meaner, which certainly fits in with the album's overall feel. After the pummelling, explosive speed of Spit In Your Eye, If Your Face is Your Fortune slows things down a little to more of a strident mid-pace and recalls modern Motörhead a little - albeit with Hooker's more snarling vocal style. There are no real slow songs here, with the album maintaining a heavy and pacier feel throughout. Tracks like If Your Face is Your Fortune showcase more of a groove-based sound however, with JJ's bass pinning everything together, but the heaviness still remains. The song's chorus is much punkier than the one found in the previous track, which adds some urgency despite the slower pace, and helps to maintain the attitude already established despite the album being barely over six minutes old! My Image in Thee opens slowly, with JJ's pulsing bassline and a simple drum pattern from Skinner, but soon goes for a somewhat more epic sound with wordless vocal chants and stadium-worthy power chords. While the production sounds modern and heavy, there is certainly a big 1980s hard rock influence here. The bass-heavy sound has quite an anthemic feel, and the big vocal hooks really draw the listener in. Hooker actually sounds a little like Savatage's Jon Oliva throughout the song, with his creepy vocal delivery, which only goes further to enhance the 1980s stadium rock feel of the piece. The album's title track is up next, and it opens with a fairly creepy-sounding atmospheric guitar line that sets the tone for the track before a simple drum beat kicks in and the rhythm guitars start a monotonous chug. Danahar adds squealing leads throughout the track at opportune moments, but overall the song is one that sticks to a tough mid-pace, with Hooker's rhythm guitars and JJ's bass keeping everything on track - and an Alice Cooper-esque chorus adding some poppy snarl which still maintains the spooky atmosphere. Keyboards are not usually regularly throughout the album, but there are synths used sparingly here, including a twinkling melody during the song's pre-chorus section that adds to the overall mood.

With a title like We Know it's Cool (To Break the Rules) you might be expecting more of a hair metal anthem, but instead the song reminds me somewhat of Mechanical Animals-era Marilyn Manson with its strident glam metal stomp and punky aesthetics. I remember in early interviews with Hooker about the project he noted that Marilyn Manson had been an influence to an extent, so I was not surprised to hear a track like this on the album. The song certainly comes from the more accessible end of Manson's sound, so if you imagine any of his big singles from the Mechanical Animals era then you will not be too far off. The style suits the band however, with Danahar's choppy guitar riffs and tortured solos keeping everything moving while Hooker barks the lyrics - with the punky chorus again being a highlight. Blood Brothers is the album's lead single, and a video was shot for it which can be seen below. It is not the poppiest track here, but it is a good representation of the band's whole sound, with plenty of heaviness throughout and plenty of strong hooks to sink your teeth into. This is another song that revels in its strong mid-paced groove, with Skinner's busy drumming keeping everything moving despite the slower pace and JJ's bass often cutting through the mix to add certain pulsing vibe - especially during the vitriolic chorus which Hooker delivers with appropriate venom. The stadium rock elements of My Face in Thee surface again here occasionally too however, with a powerful wordless vocal section that is sure to take hold if it is ever played live - as sadly it was not debuted at the Cardiff gig a couple of weeks ago! An Eye for an Eye opens with another powerful JJ bassline with plenty of fuzz, which again recalls Manson somewhat, before the song opens up into a creepy, atmospheric crawl with more chugging guitar rhythms and occasional bursts of cold synths. This is one of the most modern-sounding songs on the album, with lots of electronics and the occasional percussion loop thrown in - with the verses in particular sounding a mile away from classic Tigertailz! JJ really dominates the song, and it is his bass that really keeps everything moving during the piece. With the bass so often being buried on modern metal albums, it is great to listen to an album that places its bass at the forefront of the mix most of the time. JJ and Hooker form a formidable rhythm team, with the two often teaming up for tight, interlocking grooves, which leaves Danahar free to add colour where necessary. His solo in the track is more traditional-sounding than many of his efforts, which is ironic given the song's modern leanings, with neo-classical phrasing and melodies that add some light melody to the piece.

I Need to Feel Your Pain ups the pace again, with some choppy Skinner drumming keeping everything moving while Hooker employs an Alice in Chains-esque vocal style with drawling harmonies. In fact there is quite a large Alice in Chains vibe running throughout the whole song. While the Seattle band are known for being part of the grunge movement, I think many people often forget how heavy the band can be. There is certainly enough evidence there to call Alice in Chains a metal band, and Bare Knuckle Messiahs seem to be channelling that part of the band's sound here, with the aforementioned big harmonies and heavy, grungy riffing. I think that Skinner's drumming also contributes to that vibe, as his off-kilter playing helps to beef up the track. The riffs here are fairly basic, but the drumming behind them makes the track overall feel much more energetic - something that Sean Kinney sometimes does for Alice in Chains. Brutal Kiss is another more mid-paced piece, with a creepy crawling guitar melody and a hollow-sounding drum beat. There are a few tracks throughout the album that employ a more atmospheric sound, and I feel that this one is probably the most effective when it comes to mixing in spooky sounds and aesthetics. There are lots of swirling synths used throughout the song, particularly during the verses, and these coupled with the guitar melodies and Hooker's vocals leads to a great overall sound. While the band really excel at heavier tracks, I think that they also have a knack for writing great mid-paced Alice Cooper-esque tracks such as this. These songs act as changes of pace, in the way that ballads do on many rock albums, but without loosing the overall feel of the album. I do not feel that the ballad would fit on the album, so the slower, creepier tracks used here help to keep things fresh and varied. The album comes to a close with Smash It Up, a track that bookends the album nicely with Spit In Your Eye - and again feels like something that could have appeared on Wazbones. There is a bit of a 1980s influence here, with a simple, shout-along chorus dominating the song and simple buzzsaw riffing recalling early W.A.S.P. at times. In fact the W.A.S.P. comparisons are fairly apt, and I can imagine that this is the sort of thing Blackie Lawless would have written today if he had not released The Crimson Idol album and taken his band in a darker, more serious direction. When I saw Bare Knuckle Messiahs a couple of weeks ago they opened with this track, and it really got the show going with a bang. It is a powerful song, and it closes out the album in pummelling metal style. Overall, That Which Preys on the Dead is a strong debut album from a new band who are clearly mean business. It is great to hear new material from Hooker after a fairly long break, and I hope the band can find some success as I would love to hear where they go next musically.

The album was released on 4th October 2019 via Diafol Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Blood Brothers.