Kill Devil Hill – Kill Devil Hill
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Highlights: War Machine, Hangman, Voodoo Doll, Gates of Hell, Rise From The Shadows, We’re All Gonna Die, Strange, Time & Time Again, Old Man, Mysterious Ways, Up In Flames, Revenge
When I first got wind of Kill Devil Hill, I didn’t know what to make of it at first. On paper I couldn’t figure it out. Lead singer Dewey Bragg has a classic hard rock voice that brings in that 80’s style infused with a bit of Layne Stayley while guitarist Mark Zavon possesses Tony Iommi riffage with Randy Rhodes ability and flair. Pair this up with the bombastic drumming of Vinnie Appice and the solid, groove laden low end bass playing of Rex Brown and you get one of the best albums to be released in 2012 without a doubt. So was this somewhat of a supergroup or what? Well, the answer lied within the songs of the band’s debut album and it was loud and clear. This was not your ordinary supergroup. This is a band with an agenda and that agenda is to melt faces, kick asses, and deliver some of the most catchy, groove laden metal I’ve heard in some time.
While nothing on this album is really groundbreaking, that’s not to say that the songs aren’t good. As a matter of fact, the songs are absolutely stellar. As the album opened with “War Machine”, right away I could hear the Dio influence shining through. “Hangman” sported a definitely Alice In Chains vibe while “Voodoo Doll” took me back to No Rest For The Wicked era Ozzy Osbourne. Listening to the album became somewhat of a game for me as with each song I found myself pinpointing the root of influence behind the songs. This may sound like a negative thing but it’s far from it. Kill Devil Hill is a band that is obviously not ashamed to wear many influences on their sleeves. While this is true, Kill Devil Hill delivers these songs by combining these influences to forge one cohesive sound.
Kill Devil Hill is in the right place at the right time. In a time where heavy metal music seems to have somewhat lost the melody and groove of old, Kill Devil Hill brings it all back reminding me of all the things I love about heavy music. The songs were killer and the delivery was spot on. Kill Devil Hill has that drive, that fire, and that energy that you would come to expect from a youthful heavy metal band. This is an album I can listen to over and over again and never tire of. With every listen I find a new favorite song and hear things that I didn’t catch the previous time. This is a truly great record and any fan of heavy music should own this one.
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