Hell, yeah! Yes! I have to say that “The Devil’s Asylum” genuinely trapped me. After years of gaps and line-up changes, I wasn’t really sure about what to expect from a new album from VICIOUS RUMORS, but they came back with something strong enough to have me gravitating around while it ran complete from start to finish. And here we are. This new album shows that the fire is still alive in the VICIOUS RUMORS territory and while it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, it is still a VICIOUS RUMORS album through and through, tight, aggressive, melodic and packed with attitude, which is something you always find on their music. Now, the vocals department… What about that? Well, here we go again… Chalice, the latest in the long line of vocalists since Carl Albert, might just be the best one they have had since the early ’90s from my perspective. So, yes, Brian Betterton brings a sense of control that definitely fits the band’s style without feeling forced. He does everything they need in terms of the range, he hits the high notes, but he also knows when to dial it back and let the song breathe while delivering a solid performance that blends right into the VICIOUS RUMORS characteristic vibe. And musically? Well, “The Devil’s Asylum” is exactly what you want. The opening tracks come full of the kind of fast and powerful riffs and rhythms that put VICIOUS RUMORS on the map more than 40 years ago. Geoff Thorpe sounds better than ever and the solos sound strong, melodic and to the point, just the kind of lead work that made this band a flag of the Power Metal genre. Larry Howe is definitely a beast behind the kit and the newer guys Robin Utbult and Denver Cooper do their part without ever sounding out of place. And I really liked that despite being at the same time kind of skeptical, because I have to mention that, track by track I was gradually finding that the album never loses its north, it keeps things solid from front to back in a mix of power, melody and intensity, remaining in your ears long after you finish the listening. That happened to me. I’ll also add that some of the grooves give the album a darker taste that works very, very well. The album flows well. It has that classic American Power Metal spirit but, most importantly, it sounds like VICIOUS RUMORS. Period. So yes, I liked this new album. “The Devil’s Asylum” might not reach the iconic releases of their late ’80s and early ’90s maybe, but for me, it is easily their strongest and most focused effort in years. The energy is back and the new line-up has real chemistry. If you have been waiting for VICIOUS RUMORS to deliver pure Power Metal, this is the album you need. And I hope they keep this momentum going. More info here: www.facebook.com/viciousrumorsthisismetal, www.facebook.com/spvsteamhammer

I had always been a huge fan of VICIOUS RUMORS. So, whenever they release new music it’s always something special for me. Love the killer album cover. Specially since I live in Puerto Rico and we’re kind of used to hurricanes. If you haven’t seen one of them in your life you couldn’t understand the horror. Fans of the band since they came out will love the fact that this is exactly what you might expect from them. Just pure heavy melodic American Power Metal. The choruses here kind of remind me of ASHES OF ARES or any other band where Matt Barlow sang. The guitar work is amazing here too. If you like crunchy guitars with nice melodies you will love this. Somehow the songs seem shorter than they are as you get really into them because they are very catchy. New vocalist Brian Betterton does a great job here. ‘Crack The Sky In Half’, ‘Butchers Block’ and ‘In Blood We Trust’ are among my favorites here. ‘Abusement Park’ and ‘Boring Day In Hell’ have the best solos of the record. Even with a revolving door of member changes over the years it is nice to see that the essence of the band keeps being the same. ‘Wrong Side Of Love’ was for me the weakest song on the record. It sounds very commercial and kind of glammy to me. If you’re into this type of music, with the release of a new HELLOWEEN album coming up, the new ASHES OF ARES and this one will help you hold up until BLIND GUARDIAN decide to record a new one. And just to make sure to leave you completely satisfied they close the whole thing with a real scorcher. This is pure aggressive Heavy fucking Metal. This is a must have collectors item. www.facebook.com/viciousrumorsthisismetal, www.facebook.com/spvsteamhammer

This year marks the 40th birthday of the album “Soldiers Of The Night”, the first (and still underrated) full length album from California’s VICIOUS RUMORS. That album already took the band six years since their formation and was the start of a career that had some ups, a few more downs and no real commercial success. Two great albums for Shrapnel Records (Roadrunner did the job in Europe), two more either great for Atlantic Records and, after another still great release for Rising Sun, the tragic death of singer Carl Albert in 1995. That was the first ten years of the band’s history. Most other bands would have called their quits after losing their front man who had left such an imprint on the band. But giving up was never an option for VICIOUS RUMORS mastermind Geoff Thorpe. The first album after the tragic day saw Thorpe taking over vocal duties himself, yet “Something Burning” was quite a disappointment back in 1996. But the reason was not the vocal delivery but the song material that was more on the (back then) modern side of Metal. Groove Metal just wasn’t what was expected from a great Power Metal band like VICIOUS RUMORS. After that album, I lost track of the band a little bit, even though they were still there and released more albums that never were as great as those old classics. The allies of Geoff Thorpe changed pretty often, popular names like James Rivera or Brad Gillis were coming and going, but VICIOUS RUMORS remained. And now we have a new album of theirs. “The Devil’s Asylum” is their fourteenth full length and already the fifth for Steamhammer Records, the home of a lot of old heroes. Like it was pretty often in the past, this album again features a new singer, Chalice (aka Brian Betterton) was responsible this time. And he did a more than decent job, as his voice is very variable and thus fits the sound of VICIOUS RUMORS very well. Yet the best voice won’t help if the music is not good. But Geoff Thorpe is an old hand when it comes to Power Metal. This “The Devil’s Asylum” turns out to be a really solid and respectable Power Metal album that sometimes still takes a nod to Groove Metal and even has some subtle influences from Thrash Metal as well. But songs like the fierce opener ‘Bloodbath’ , ‘Dogs Of War’, ‘Wrong Side Of Love’ or the closing title track will surely please anyone into classic US Metal from the 1980s. If you always liked VICIOUS RUMORS, you won’t be disappointed with “The Devil’s Asylum”. In case you’re not familiar with the band, you’re better off checking out their famous albums like “Digital Dictator” or “Welcome To The Ball” first. As always, there are links for more information here: www.facebook.com/viciousrumorsthisismetal, www.facebook.com/spvsteamhammer