Description

In the world of metal, bands are either criticized for never changing or strung up and ridiculed when they do try something different. Running Wild at first was the butt of jokes because they never changed their sound. They recorded nine albums (Gates to Purgatory through Masquerade) of pretty much the same type of power/speed metal. Then with The Brotherhood, the band is getting blasted for trying something different. So what makes this album different? Well like the previous album Victory, The Brotherhood (for a lack of a better word) is groovy, just to more of a degree. This is not the sonic speed metal assault of the past. Because of this the songs are actually more diverse. This diversity is also something new that we never heard on a Running Wild disc before. I hate to say it but when I listen to even stellar discs as Blazon Stone and Black Hand Inn, I get tired of the albums half-way through because all the songs end up sounding the same. Not with The Brotherhood. Aside from the occasional weak song, I can listen to The Brotherhood straight through. The album opens with Welcome to Hell which is reminiscent of Wild of old. This is just a fantastic speed metal monster with a killer riff. Rock N Rolf in an interview said he got the idea for this song when someone asked him what he would say to greet an alien that was visiting earth. His response would of course be welcome to hell. The next song Soulstrippers, as well as the song Crossfire, is when the grooviness kicks in. Some die hard fans end up hating these songs but I found them to my liking. They have more a standard rock groove to them and mixed with Rolfs ever likable pirate vocals. The title track and the epic closer the Ghost show Rolf at his most Iron Maiden like creativeness to make long yet likeable metal monsters. Some may notice that this album lacks pirate material. All is not lost as the song Pirate Song is here. Now this is a terrific speed number with great tongue-in-cheek pirate lyrics. One of Wilds best songs. The instrumental Siberian Winter is also terrific. The only down thing is the drum machines that Rolf continues to use.

Track listing:
1. Welcome To Hell
2. Soulstripper
3. The Brotherhood
4. Powerride
5. Siberian Winter
6. Detonator
7. Pirate Song
8. U-Nation
9. Dr. Horror
10. The Ghost