C O L U M N S

Rusted Metal

Liege Lord - Freedom's Rise

By: Metal Rob
Published: Monday, March 1, 2004

Longtime metal fans may remember a time in the mid 80’s when ‘Power Metal’ signified something dangerous and new in music. I was in my early teens at the time and I spent every dollar I made from my paper-route, buying all the latest releases. Iron Maiden were my Gods (they still are), and the Power Metal scene that was developing at made me insane with metallic frenzy. I bought a tape copy of Freedom’s Rise and it blew me away. It is one of my favorites to this day.

Highly influenced by Maiden and Priest, the “Freedom’s Rise” is a lost classic. Their early signature sound was characterized by complex drum patterns of Frank Cortese, the chaotic and furious riffing of Tony Truglio and Pete McCarthy and the punchy bass lines of Matt Vinci. Their singer, Andy Michaud, had a unique vocal style, alternating between mid range power-shouting like Matt Barlow at his most intense, punctuated with Ian Gillanesque Banshee screams. Speaking of Matt Barlow, Iced Earth have cited Liege Lord as an important influence.

Overall, what makes Liege Lord so effective is the contrast they develop in their music as bass, drum, guitar and vocal lines grapple with each-other like a musical counterpart of war. The resulting sound is wild and violent, majestic and immense, a perfect complement to their brilliant and ambitious lyrical explorations of epic themes. Occupying a similar soundworld to Omen “Battle Call”, Savage Grace “Master of Disguise”, Manowar “Hail to England”, and Manilla Road “Mystification”, Liege Lord are classic blood-thirsty Power Metal at its most epic, direct and forceful. The brilliant artwork of Eric Larnoy completes this package in perfect style.

To gain an insight into the heady nascent years of Power Metal’s inception, check out the 2000 re-release of this classic through Old Metal Records or find an old copy of this classic on vinyl.



[Other Maximum Metal Columns]

<< back >>





RANDOM ACTS OF METAL
. Grave. White Skull
. Poisonblack. Tiamat
. Dokken. Exmortem
. Grave Digger. Twelfth Gate
. Deranged. Skullview
. Overkill. Iron Maiden
. Lamb of God. Crematorium
. Firewind. Alchemy X
. Led Zeppelin. Pelican
. Brainstorm. The Chainsaw
. Catch 22. SelfInflicted
. Biomechanical. Godiva
. The Graveyard Boulevard. Wycked Synn
. Assrockers. Duke
. Savatage. Project: Failing Flesh
. Brides of Destruction. Asperity
. Doro. Fear Factory
. Death Angel. Gothic Knights
. Celesty. Exodus
. Cans. Bleeding Inc
. Outworld. David Shankle Group
. Skyfire. Nova Lex
. Jorn. Gary Moore
. Marillion. Spiral Madness
. Feinstein. Krokus
. Joe Lynn Turner. Insomnium
. Ungodly. Dream Evil
. Psychotron. Shadows Fall
. Katagory V. I.C.E.
. Polterchrist. House of Shakira
. Arch Enemy. The Last Act
. The Lizards. Ironhorse
. Negative Creeps. Made of Iron
. Seventh One. Hanzel Und Gretyl
. John Oliva's Pain. Feared Creation
. Legion. Kinetic
. Scenteria. Blood Red Throne
. Hellfueled. Loudblast
. Maze Of Torment. Suidakra
. Apocalyptica. Diecast
. Cemetary. Severe Torture
. Oathean. Kryoburn
. Impiety. Burden Of Grief
. Hatesphere. Python
. Brand New Sin. Communic
. Ektomorf. Unshine
. Dynamic Lights. Nuse
. Evemaster. Prowler Inc.
. Sebastian Bach. Ritual Killer
. Cannon. Love Forsaken
. Havochate. Agents Of The Sun
. Painmuseum. Monster Magnet
. Sun O))). 1349
. Shattersphere. Ewigkeit
. Phantom X. Spellbound
. Celebratum. Thryfing
. Lair Of The Minotaur. Nikki Puppet
. Dissection. Cryptopsy
. Viron. Vore
. Silver Dirt. Warrant (Amer)
. Pyramaze. Athanator
. Smohalla. Destruction
. Time Requiem. Warface
. Agalloch. Anata
. Zoroaster. Biolich
. Audrey Horne. Middian
. Gaza. Blood Tsunami
. Onslaught. Throne of Katarsis
. Incrave. Trouble
. Pantera. Five Finger Death Punch
. Divine Empire. Pentacle
. Manes. Denial Fiend
. Retrospective. Blut Aus Nord
. Nation Beyond. Keep of Kalessin
. Rosetta. Pop Evil
. Straight Line Stitch. Vulture Industries
. Souls Of We. Trinacria
. Place Of Skulls. Sin
. Coffins. Dark Castle