Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Charred Walls of the Damned Charred Walls of the Damned Company: Metal Blade Release: 2010 Genre: Traditional Reviewer: Al Kikuras

The music herein is metal in its purest form

Finally. A metal album that delivers in every way. Richard Christy has penned a release where determination, passion, a love of heaviness and all things metal come to life.

Seldom has an album been released that is so heartfelt, genuine and just god damn good. I did not know what to expect when I first heard "Ghost Town" on Sirus Satellite Radio but I was absolutely blown away. I figured there was no way the whole album would live up to the "single" but it even exceeded my expectations. Ripper gives the performance of a career. Richard plays with the a perfect balance of virtuosity and taste, never letting chops overshadow the strength of the material, even with a metal lumiary like Steve DiGiorgio among the ranks. Surely the temptation was there to overplay, but not for a moment did anyone on this absolute masterpiece succumb to temptation. This is my first introduction to producer/guitarist Jason Suecof. He has a pretty impressive resume, having worked with Trivium, All That Remains, Bury Your Dead and more. I am not much of a fan of the new breed of metal he is so entrenched in, but with Charred Walls of the Damned, his true metal cred is solid beyond belief. Give a listen to "Blood on Wood." The lyrics are a tribute to Richard's passion for drumming, and that passion is what really makes this album so exemplary as it can be heard and felt with every note. Heavy, catchy... never derivative of another style, the music herein is metal in its purest form. Chuck Schuldiner would be proud as Richard and his cohorts have truly "let the metal flow," as Chuck was so fond of saying.

It is early in 2010, but I will go so far as to venture that another album will not be released that will top this one this year, if not in the next decade. My hope is that they achieve enough success to tour, to release another album... and another, as Charred Walls of the Damned is an album for the ages. One that any metal fan, any age, of any school of prefrence will find to be rewarding from the first listen to the ten thousandth. And here I am, just a few weeks in to it being in my collection, and I am already on my way to that mark.