Savage Master – Those Who Hunt at Night (2022)
Shadow Kingdom Records
Listening to Savage Master’s latest album is like being transported back to the glory days of British heavy metal. Close your eyes and it’s the early 1980s, with the NWOBHM in full swing. Everything from the production, riffs, vocals, and visuals channel nostalgia for a blend of music that, while still very much loved, just isn’t made quite the same anymore.
Those Who Hunt at Night opens with ‘Hunt at Night’. It’s almost a title track, and suitably encapsulates the essence of what lies beyond, with a video that has to be seen to be believed; an insatiable riff, sailing nearly too close to Judas Priest’s ‘Heading Out to the Highway’, thunders on behind a low-budget, cringe-but-cool fantasy scene that surely only Dio could get away with. Are they vampires? Are they for real? Whatever their intentions, it makes for seriously good listening.
The Kentucky outfit’s fourth full-length release is a barnstorming celebration of everything metal has lost in recent years, transporting the listener on a highly enjoyable 35-minute joyride jam-packed with delicious cliches. There’s not a duff song on it, with anthemic cuts such as ‘Spirit of Death’ and ‘The Hangman’s Tree’ destined to inspire raised fists and devil horns at festivals the world over. If you’re longing for razor-sharp riffs, punchy basslines, powerhouse drums, Doro-esque vocals, and lyrics that are sure to raise a wry smile or two – look no further.
Dan Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
Buy the Savage Master Album direct from the band – click here
