MEGA COLOSSUS - Showdown CD
North Carolina's Mega Colossus and its as-kick-ass sister band Knightmare comprise a rarefied type of intensely melodic and tightly driven guitar bands worth slipping, Mickie style, to doubting naysayers who think all heavy metal is aimed at brutish, unrefined or socially malformed meat heads, whilst in truth, the eternally globe quaking art form is both soul edifying and life affirming. In other words, anyone with the slightest musical bone in their body will moon flip out of pure ear bound joy upon sampling its latest chef d'oeuvre, the seasoned Raleigh quintet's fourth album titled Showdown, released in January under most diligent Italian label Cruz Del Sur.
In fact, its six extensively riffed tracks, which all breach the lofty five minute mark (while keeping total runtime down to a svelte, just under forty minutes) are so dense and packed with intricacies and nuances that on first listen, it was almost too much, making me shelve it for a spell...until our esteemed pal below rushed it back to the for(g)e, thereby compelling me to slap on the ole headphones and give it another go. Suffice to say, it rules, and I'm kicking myself now for sitting on it for so long.
As with Knightmare - of which I highly recommend 2018's Walk In The Fire, Mega Colossus also features accessible, tenderfoot welcoming vocals, courtesy of front man Sean Buchanan (whereas bassist Anthony Micale genially takes possession of the not-so-bony microphone, Knightmare side). Drummer Doza Mendoza's style is brisk and compact, reminding me of similarly dry, mid-to-fast tempo beats of Bible Of The Devil's Greg Spalding. Dual axe druids Bill Fischer and Chris Millard are aflame, easily making it their best work, in a distinctively synchronized and colourful manner bringing to mind a heavenly cross between '80s Ozzy Osbourne and '00s Orange Goblin. On bass, Anthony exudes the same fluidly creative motion as legendary god Steve Harris.
To say the least, it'd be foolish to abscond on the combustive and expressive likes of "Fortune And Glory", "Outrun Infinity" (in the time machine of your choosing), "Showdown" and "Wicked Road". Each song radiates top shelf masterpiece instrument wizardry, but those are my favourites, especially "Showdown". A heartfelt "Wow!" is all I can muster in its too-good-to-be-real-ness. It's out of this World, not as a figure of speech, but in deadpan truth. Again, re-gleaning Mega Colossus's stratospheric Showdown made my day and I guarantee it'll make yours as well if you give it a chance.