SCREAM MAKER – Livin’ In The Past (2014)

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One of the releases by Perris Records this year that almost slipped under my radar is “Livin’ In The Past“, the first international album by Polish rockers SCREAM MAKER.
Scream Maker was founded in 2010 in Warsaw and since then they managed to devise a comprehensive and diverse concert material and present it to over 100 live performances, some of them supporting major acts.

In the summer of 2013, Scream Maker signed a new record deal with international distribution and they secured no other than the man of the moment: mighty producer Alessandro Del Vecchio to record “Livin’ In The Past”.
A proper title, as Scream Maker delivers bright, hard ‘n heavy ’80s metal with lots of melodies and a strong hard rock groove. The quintet know how to keep their performances and songwriting very lean and mean, adding in some smoldering lead breaks that excite the crowds and feature high octane vocals in line with Stryper, Accept, Dokken, W.A.S.P. and more.
“Livin’ In The Past” starts with a monumental piano intro, composed and performed by no one else but Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess – a classic prelude to what Scream Maker delivers on their first full length album. And what they do is still one hundred per cent classic metal with certain ‘80s vibes and modern-day production.
Heavy but melodic, “In The Nest Of Serpents” precedes “Glory For The Fools” – one of these hard n heavy infused moments on the album, with the track’s raw, fast-paced riffs and powerful, but melodic choruses.
This stylistic ‘two-timing’ adds more variety to the record’s entirety as well as proves the band’s versatility. It’s also the track featuring the guest solo played by Wojciech Hoffmann of Turbo.

Title track is a mid-tempo with dynamic choruses, the one to feature really exceptional and much emotionally laden vocal performance of the lead singer Sebastian Stodolak, showing his wide vocal range as well as the undeniable power of his voice, all this against the background of the meaty, old school metal riffs.
Don’t be misled by the opening wailing guitar sound of “Fever” – despite it having slow-ish and ballad-esque verses, the band goes full on in the track’s powerful chorus.
With “All My Life,” it’s more than obvious that the track should have the audience screaming and dancing at each and every Scream Maker’s gig. In this potential fan-favourite, with its ‘80s anthem hard rock choruses
The mid-tempo “Angel” – although still does border on the old school hard rock – sounds slightly more modern (and lighter) than the rest of the material.

The gloomy and wistful opening of “Stand Together” suggests a ballad and so it is; a monumental, majestic piece of slow-ish, lumbering metal enriched with a blistering guitar solo and ending with a mellow instrumental coda. It’s certainly one of the album’s highlights.
“Confessions” might be as well recorded by Alice Cooper or W.A.S.P. – it’s a dark song with the creepy horror-like intro, while with “Never Say Never” one should get one’s lighter out – here comes a soaring power-ballad, and a strongly crafted one
The last is the anthem-like “Metalheads” with raw, abrasive riffs in the best classic metal style, and somehow a tribute to the genre.

As you see, Scream Maker mix traditional ’80 metal sounds with classic hard rock grooves, and the overall result is catchiness. You have some high-pitched clean vocals, old school metal riffs, punchy rhythm section, but also lots of groove, hard rockin’ hooks and lots of melodies.
On “Livin’ In The Past”, the band’s influences blend into a cohesive and coherent musical unit rather than resembling any of the above bands in particular. It’s hooky but at the same time punchy and edgy.
Having added to this the great, bright production / mix by Alessandro Del Vecchio and Scream Maker’s much-praised musicianship as well as their great songwriting ideas, “Livin’ In The Past” is a brilliant album altogether.
I rarely heard a bad album released by Perris Records, and this is not another exception; “Livin’ In The Past” rocks greatly.
Strongly Recommended.

01 – Intro
02 – In The Nest of Serpents
03 – Glory for the Fools
04 – Livin’ in the Past
05 – Fever
06 – All my Life
07 – Angel
08 – Spacestome
09 – Stand Together
10 – Confessions
11 – Never Say Never
12 – Metalheads

Sebastian Stodolak – Vocals
Ajronmajk – Lead Guitar
Marek Stanisz – Rhythm Guitar
Adam Radziłowski – Bass
Tomasz Nachyła – Drums

Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) – Keyboards
Wojtek Hoffmann (Turbo) – guest Guitar
Mixed & Mastered by Alessandro Del Vecchio

BUY IT !
www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=9205897
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