ROSS THE BOSS - "BY BLOOD SWORN" (2018)

ROSS THE BOSS - "BY BLOOD SWORN"
(Running time: 46:33 minutes; 10 songs)
("AFM Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, finally the next round'n'dose for you and your enjoyment is right here. From Sunday, the 8th of July of 2018 on I was on a very nice vacation-travel and just came home still pretty recently one day ago and so the sort of one week of nothing new up here should be explained (if there was ever the need to explain anything anyhow anyway) to all of you. And I thought kicking it all of with a new record-review (that's now also waiting to be done for already a bit longer), yes, and so here we go with my record-review on the (brand)new ROSS THE BOSS full-length-album "BY BLOOD SWORN" released still not that long ago in 2018 on CD (at least that's the format I have of it) via "AFM RECORDS", yes, and after we all should know ROSS THE BOSS aka the man himself very well, the Metal guys from his time with the almighty MANOWAR and the Punk dudes from his runs with the mighty THE DICTATORS, I will now spare me any words more to introduce him here and now any further on. This is his newest 'solo-album' and ROSS THE BOSS recruited a 'new team' around him consisting (out) of strong going veterans like for example Mike LePond at the bass (SYMPHONY X, SILENT ASSASSIN) and Marc Lopes at the mic (fromer MELIAH RAGE) and together they delivered "BY BLOOD SWORN" to us and the world, hell yeahr, and this is a damn fucking mighty piece of crushing U.S. American Heavy Metal with plenty of heavy flirtings with thundering Power Metal in it all and with some slight (but) passionate Epic Metal marks in it, too; and "BY BLOOD SWORN" is ROSS THE BOSS' third full-length-album under that moniker and, if I am now not completly wrong informed, it's the first one since "HAILSTORM" in/from 2010. For all what I've read this album got often a lot of shit but if you free yourself of/from any MANOWAR expectations and just look at "BY BLOOD SWORN" for what it is then you will definitely and enthusiastically cheer up to it, especially if you are into guitar driven and riff dominated (U.S. American) Heavy/Power Metal somewhere between ICED EARTH and HELSTAR and maybe some very, very few JAG PANZER and with slight Epic Metal and also some Hard Rock notes in it that comes dressed in fresh and strong songwriting that isn't shying away from THIN LIZZY inspired Hard Rock and even some few Horror Rock/Horror Punk a la THE MISFITS and that offers a lot of multi-facetted and pretty diverse approaches and ideas with serving a lot of exciting and grapping twists'n'turns all along the ride and that surely has a pretty unique and own character and identity. The same is to say about/to the fantastic and very charismatic guitar work that shines'n'sounds in its very own and damn unique boneshaking and dustdry tone and that delivers crushing riffs and powerful rhythm arrangements while at the same time shining bright with compelling great melodies and leads and first-class solos and this all mostly all the time. The guitars are surely also the strongest trademark of ROSS THE BOSS' "BY BLOOD SWORN" and are backed up fantastic in a very stunning and massive way by the thundering rhythm section, while the very strong vocals finally enrich it all (surely no 'new' Eric Adams, hell no, definitely not, but absolutely top notch anyhow). Surely not all is gold and songs like the terrible (power-)ballad "FAITH OF THE FALLEN" or the by far too-über-cheesy "AMONG THE BONES" probably should have better never been done in the first place anyhow, yes, but mighty Metal battle hymns like "BY BLOOD SWORN", "THIS IS VENGEANCE", "WE ARE THE NIGHT" and "FISTFUL OF HATE" with a strong Warrior and Conan/Cimmeria spirit and vibe to it as well as the fantastic THIN LIZZY inspired Hard Rock hymn "PLAY AMONG THE GODZ" are absolutely amazing top notch stuff, point and fact. A bunch of surely pretty clichée but anyhow good lyrics, a fantastic artwork, and a heavy hitting production sound then round it all finally up. To any Heavy Metal/Power Metal fan I can only recommend ROSS THE BOSS' "BY BLOOD SWORN" and so make sure to finally get it if you are into that kind of stuff and really still don't have it.

(8,5 of 10 points)

http://www.ross-the-boss.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

ROSS THE BOSS - "BY BLOOD SWORN" (2018, "BY BLOOD SWORN")