“Give it all, my son, to the hooded one.” – Executioner

Here’s an album that came out at the beginning of 2010 but is definitely deserving of a spot on the TOTD reviews list seven months later.  Released on indie Planet Metal, Züül‘s Out of Time will be a worthy competitor for album of the year, depending on who’s creating the list.  My guess is that anyone into traditional metal will dig this one, though I’ll openly admit it initially took a little while for the full effect of Out of Time to sink in and anchor itself.

Though at times rock-tinged, rest assured that Out of Time is almost exclusively metal, albeit in a pure, primal form.  The umlauts in Züül‘s name boldly attempt to prove this fact before the first track has even begun.  But once the album does get rolling, its heft becomes evident, builds momentum, and steamrolls just about everything traditionally-themed you’ve heard lately.  There are no frills, gimmicks or trends to be heard on Out of Time — it’s a raw clump of coal housing an unpolished gem deep within, and it’s damn near flawless.

Züül seem to take just as much influence from Thin Lizzy as they do Iron Maiden, so, as you can imagine, the material is galloping, powerful, and packed with great melodies, though there’s no pomp or theatrics.  It’s all killer and no filler, as the kids say — packed with excellent guitar harmonies, strong and woeful vocals, and an ass-kicking rock and roll backbone.  Truthfully, nothing is overdone or underdone, and each track is pure headbangin’, fist-shakin’ heaven.  “Out of Time,” “Executioner” and “Warhammer” are all standouts, though every other track is equally worthy of your time.

The reason behind being initially put off by Out of Time had to have been the vocals, which tend to ride the hard rock line more than metal, but they grew on me, and now I’m left wondering why it was even an issue in the first place.  Regardless, Out of Time is an honest, no-bullshit approach to heavy metal that’s simultaneously smooth yet gritty, and it gives the impression of translating perfectly to a live setting.  Fans of the previously mentioned groups, as well as maybe Manilla Road or Bible of the Devil, should check Züül out.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments