SCREAM TAKER (Vinny Appice, Jim Crean, Steph Honde) – Kill The Beautiful (2022)
SCREAM TAKER is a brand new outfit consisting of veteran frontman Jim Crean (Appice Bros. Drum Wars), guitarist Steph Honde (Paul Di’Anno, Hollywood Monsters), and legendary drummer Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath). The three musicians have created a classic hard rock album in the vein of Dio, which is no surprise as Vinny is one of the original Dio members.
The trio debut CD ”Kill The Beautiful” unleashes 11 original songs of classic hard with melody where the Dio influence is heard, but musically I found more similarity with Last In Line – the other Vinny band featuring Vivian Campbell.
The band recorded the album during the pandemic and post Jim Crean’s short lived tenure with former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent.
Crean was to perform with Vincent in his comeback performance alongside Carmine Appice (Ozzy Osbourne, Vanilla Fudge, Appice Brothers) and Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder), which unfortunately never materialized.
So instead, we get an amazing album from Scream Taker, a classic hard rock album with an ’80s but also ’70s touches.
Take as example “Stone Cold”. Its dark riffs takes you back to Black Sabbath’s primal sound, with lyrics taking on a mystical, epic adventure. The concept is about the King of the Vampires searching for his queen. Once the King has chosen his bride, he must bite her and she becomes his queen, to forever serve the master and oversee the undead. The husband of the queen relentlessly tries to rescue her to no avail. The hero falls and is brought down by the undead, and is left to roam for eternity.
Other highlights include the title track, ‘Shattered Mirror’, ‘Blindman’, ‘Burning Flame’, all more melodic, at places bringing to mind classic Alice Cooper and Hollywood Monsters as well, then closer ‘Shine On’ is another doomy, sinister sabbath-esque number.
Jim Crean gives a very solid vocal performance matched by Honde’s classic guitar riffs and Vinny Appice’s signature drumming.
A well produced and executed record with a lot of things to enjoy.
Highly Recommended
01 – Kill The Beautiful
02 – Stone Cold
03 – Eternity
04 – Shattered Mirror
05 – Love Takes
06 – Silver Tongued Devil
07 – Blindman
08 – The Curse Of The Werewolf
09 – Burning Flame
10 – These Words You Speak
11 – Frontline
12 – Shine On
Jim Crean – vocals
Steph Honde – guitars, bass
Vinny Appice – drums, percussion
Pre order:
www.amazon.com/Kill-Beautiful-Scream-Taker/dp/B0B7KB7LW2
