Description

Piledriver´s second and last speed / thrash metal attack meets the listed prerequisites in a striking manner. Those of you who prefer filigree guitars and complicated song structures will not find their fulfilment when listening to this album. This might be the reason why Piledriver chose the suitable title “Stay Ugly”, not “Stay Progressive”, “Stay Cute” or something like that. In any case, the band did not have the intention to perform extraordinary tricks. In addition, the production failed to impress sustainably. Be that as it may, the musicians presented seven no-frills tunes. All of them reached a more than solid level. The most outstanding features of the speedy songs are the highly memorable choruses and the effective riffs. “Incubus” hits the nail on the head. It marks a very good opener due to its fast tempo and the perfectly flowing guitar lines. The other tunes also show no sign of weakness but its the second part of the album that really impress. Even after all these years since I bought the album, I was never able to forget their choruses and I did not get the main riffs out of my mind. For example, the opening riff of “Lord of Abomination” sounds as fascinating as the insistent ending of “Flowers of Evil”. And that´s not all: the last track of the full-length can be seen as its most shining jewel. “The Executioner” begins with a very catchy riffing which is combined with a spoken word intro. The song turns rapidly to a genuine speed metal grenade, although a slower passage is well integrated, too. Finally, the short radio play-like sequence constitutes an original conclusion of the song and the entire album as well. It is therefore the only pity that the mentioned executioner also murdered the band. From my point of view, Piledriver´s albums have definitely reached cult status. The band did not deliver the most phenomenal solos or a very imposing vocal performance on the here presented full-length. And it was too bad that they did not care about the brief playtime of less than 30 minutes. But the Canadians had charisma. They did not take themselves too seriously and they were unswervingly following a clearly defined musical direction.

Track list:
1. The Incubus
2. Metal Death Racer
3. The Fire God
4. Chaos
5. The Warning
6. Lord Of Abominations
7. Flowers Of Evil
8. The Executioner