Band of Spice - How We Play the Game Review

Metal music is known for its myriad of sonancies and vocal ranges and styles. One of the things that attracts me the most in Metal music is absolutely all this variety and versatiliy the bands showcase. Though haters will say Metal is all the same, my dear fan knows it’s not even near the true truth. When one – like I do – gets many bands to listen is a constant basis this thesis goes south. Metal music is versatile. There’s no way of denying it. Just take a look in the incredible count of styles Metal music has showed throughout the years. Is it possible to compare Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Saxon, Motörhead, Slayer, Cradle of Filth, Therion, Edenbridge, just to quote a few and affirm they are all the same? No, no honest person would say that. By saying this I’m implying that the music press has a tradition of not being honest. Just recently I was reading about a Rock in Rio show of a pop star when a lot was said about the coreography, about the costumes, about the pirotechny and effects, but nothing, yes, nothing was said about the music. Is that honest to you? Metal music, on the other hand, is all about the music. Some bands care about the visuals, some bands care about the lyrics, some bands care about the stage, but they all care more about the music. That’s Metal.

Ok, “How We Play the Game” is a great tittle. Band of Spice is also an interesting name for a band. By both one may think the band has some prone to versatily and to reach a wider range of styles inside Metal music. Well, that’s the pure truth. “How We Play the Game” is an album that wont’t bother the fan in no way. Its musical range goes from Judas Priest, to some Motörhead and to some extent to the early Metallica. The album is heavy, pretty heavy in the old meaning of the word. But, what called my eye in first hand was the gritty and sore vocals. The kind of voice that it’s been a while Metal bands have somehow forgotten. Spice vocals come from a long line of vocalists that know how to impose the voice and get it angry and sore at the same time it can be melodic.

Welcome track “Gone Insane” go right to the jugular with a sweet but short intro that leads to an insane fool of mood track. Following track “Demonized” has a foot on the 1970s with its groovy guitar riffing. It shows the spice that album desires to show. It’s some kind of Nazareth with early Judas Priest. Great to listen to the finesse that comes with the guitar phrasing. Pay attention to the Black Sabbath driven guitar riffing in the end of the song. “How We Play the Game” is the joint forces of two powerful epochs each with its own signature; the 1970s and the 1980s. The album navigates through both flawlessly. The mighty Demon would be a perfect match in sonancy and attitude.

Band of Spice “How We Play the Game” will be released on September 23rd via Scarlet Records.

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