With a yo ho ho and a bottle of Schnapps the ORIGINAL pirate band are BACK for their fourteenth studio album ‘Shadowmaker’ – and they’re GERMAN! Jaaaaarrrr…..
Little known in the UK they may be, but Running Wild have been pedaling their brand of jager-soaked, pirate-hatted kraut metal since Alestorm were wearing sailcloth nappies. Not that the band remains as piratocentric as thePerth privateers. On the evidence of ‘Shadowmaker’, Running Wild only nod towards their nautical gimmick on a couple of tracks, and by mainman “Captain” Rolf Kasparek’s dogged adherence to an increasingly battered pirate-like hat and coat ensemble.
Just as Manowar’s obtuse Conan-isms have been hideously and hilariously dated by the careful authenticity of the battle metal hordes, nods and hats are no longer credible amongst younger upstarts. However ‘Shadowmaker’ suggests that to an old sea-dog like Captain Kasparek, actual pirate cred is a mere flag of convenience and not that important.
More seriously, Running Wild purists might conclude that this is actually a Rock N’Rolf (don’t ask – a back story so unamusing only a German would include it on the press sheet) solo album. Kasparek is the only survivor from the band’s million selling 1980s heyday. He’s the only guy in the publicity shots and the blurb makes it clear that he wrote all the songs. “Sometimes it just took me ten minutes” he babbles in the album’s press pack. Yes indeed. Rock N’Rolf decided NOT to spend much time on the songs “to get across their spontaneity and freshness”.
It should all be a big disaster shouldn’t it?
Annoyingly, it isn’t.
‘Shadowmaker’ is in fact an entirely enjoyable and gleefully upbeat slab of unashamedly 1980s German good-time metal, with some cracking riffs, great choruses and barnstorming good tunes. The fact that Rock N’Rolf did almost everything on it doesn’t detract from the sheer pleasure of discovering an authentic Heavy Metal record in 2012, and in any case way back in the sea mists of time Running Wild were essentially a revolving cast around Kasparek. The “band’s” split in 2009 was entirely down to the whims of the good captain, and his subsequent return is cause for celebration.
If you don’t know Running wild, their sound could be summarized as traditional Heavy Metal, from about 1987. Needless to say, that means clear vocals, delivered by Kasparek with that German nasal twang familiar to the rest of the world from Doro. It means guitar solos, what appear to be synthesizers and lots and lots of choruses. ‘Shadowmaker’ contains hints of Warlock, shades of Helloween, a touch of Twisted Sister and is reminiscent of ‘Turbo’ era Judas Priest and even Skid Row.
First track, ‘Piece Of The Action’ jumps straight into the action, landing somewhere between the aforementioned ‘Turbo’ and Faster Pussycat, and immediately showcases Rock N’Rolf’s instinctive feel for catchy choruses. ‘Riding on the Tide’ continues the party-metal feel, one of the few tracks to touch on Running Wild’s pirate theme.
Fittingly it is with Kasparek’s ode to himself ‘I Am What I Am’ that the party really gets going. It is a genuine Metal anthem, offering that defiant 1980s swagger in spades after a kickass NWOBHM-ish intro. ‘Black Shadow’ which follows, is ineffective as the searing indictment of society the press pack claims it is, but works well as a mid-paced Metal number.
Things get back up to speed with ‘Locomotive’, which has a pumping Judas Priest feel. Like the fabled Ronseal it does exactly what it says on the tin, and is about (and sounds a bit like) a train. Rock N’Rolf brings out an outstanding guitar solo for this one, before following up with a truly silly song about how ‘Me And The Boys’ ‘’laugh at noise” and “go crazy”.
With the title track ‘Shadowmaker’ things again get back on track in style. It sounds like a male Doro impersonator fronting Judas Priest covering a Motorhead song. Needless to say – it kills! ‘Sailing Fire’ is another cheeky, cheery take on pirate-dom, while on ‘Into The Black’ things take a much more serious turn, coming across like an up-tempo AC/DC to produce another massive album highlight.
As should be mandatory for all 1980s-style albums, things conclude with a magnificently over-ambitious ‘Loch Ness’ style epic, on this occasion on the theme of ‘Dracula’, and superbly executed.
All in all ‘Shadowmaker’ is an excellent, refreshing, cannon ball of an album. The only worrying thing is that something so firmly rooted in the 1980s can be a real breath of fresh air in 2012, and what that says about the sterility of the current scene. Still that’s scarcely Running Wild’s fault, is it?
‘Shadowmaker’ is the most enjoyable record I have heard in ages. I think I’ll put it on again right now.
(8/10 Graham Cushway)
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