Prowler Inc. - Pay The Fiddler

It is absolutely crazy to see something in this kind of "cult status" come out of the United States, the Pacific Northwest I might add. Prower Inc. make their home on true metal label Man In Black Music, a label that specializes in power and progressive goods. Their roster of talent includes bands like Babylon, Celestial Dawn, and Wild Dogs. Prowler Inc. fits into this stable perfectly, with their blend of true and powerful tunes creating the perfect formula for success, with "Pay The Fiddler" a rather short but nonetheless enjoyable ride.

The band is made up of Brad Kubik (Drums,Vocals), Al Rhay (Guitars), Ed Jensen (Bass), and Don McBee (Guitar). Musically the band are really hard to narrow down to just one element, with bands like Skyclad, Annihilator, and Force Of Evil all coming to mind during playback. The band mostly relies on groovy stylings, with the vocals of Kubik hitting highs and lows much like Wade Black and Tim Owens.

The production on this record doesn't quite display the band's heaviness or flash, with the production here being somewhat muddy and fuzzy. Nevertheless the group create six good tracks that emphasize groove, vocals, and some quick, punchy rhythm.
"Mountains Of Madness" is an extremely effective opener, with Kubik in high gear right out of the gate. His voice is really sadistic and vengeful here, with string man McBee backing him with a steady, heavy riff that stays pro-active throughout. "Marching On Your Head" adds in a good bit of Sabbath doom and gloom, at times sounding like Detroit's shock rockers Halloween. Other favorite cuts for me are the title track and "Mortis".

Bottom Line - Great kickstarter for me! Prowler Inc. are a very enjoyable band with their eyes on the future. I'd like to see better production and more horror themed songwriting.



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