Märvel – Double Decade Review

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In general, as a kind of a rule, I’m stepping out from hippy hipsters bands. Specially when they come with such stravagante and flamboaynt visuals as Märvel do. I’ll admit I don’t have the hearts for them anymore. However, music always talk louder. And the music Märvel deliver here is too impressive to a hippy hipster band, if you know what I mean. I’ll admit that by if I were to consider first track “The Hills Have Eyes” only this review wouldn’t be written. But, honestly, it was second track “Remember” with its 1970s hard Rock grips that reminded me of UFO, Kiss, Thin Lizzy, and many others that made me decide to write this review. By the way, the final guitar solo at the end of the track contains huge influences of Black Sabbath’s “Sabotage” era.

“Double Decade” celebrates Märvel twenty-year career. I have to say that this is huge. Really something to celebrate. If memory serves me right, I remember to have said that the future of Rock as a musical mean of expression is in its past. This is valid here as well. “Double Decade” sounds so nice because it celebrates the long and meaninful past of Rock music. In a very simple way, musicwise it’s possible to say that this album has two major influences. One of them that can be sensed with “Remember” is the mighty UFO, a band that helped shaping Hard Rock, and then, Heavy Metal. The way Märvel built up the tracks takes the fan to UFO world. The second major influence, and I have to say that this influence is heavily on the guitars, is Kiss, one of the most important bands of Rock and Heavy Metal. From “Killing View” on my dear child of the night will have the opportunity of listening to octaving guitar licks that address to Kiss “Hotter than Hell” era. Märvel do a thing here that I consider very important that it’s possible to feel the band’s enthusiasm through their music. “Killing View” makes it possible. There is another side of Märvel’s music that is shown via tracks as “Bring It on” that is the structures built with the typical 1970’s open chords which gives the song some kind of melancholy and emotion. Triumph, for instance, used to do that very well.

The kind of album that brings back so dear musical memories. I grew up listening to the same bands Märvel did. Not only because of that, but mainly because the band convinced me how they are.

Märvel “Double Decade” will be released on February 24th via The Sign Records.

Track Listing:

  1. The Hills Have Eyes
  2. Remember
  3. The Effort
  4. Thunderblood Heart
  5. A killing View
  6. Bring It on
  7. I Wanna Know You (JUst a Little Bit Better)
  8. Five Smell City
  9. Danish Rush
  10. All over the News
  11. T.N.H.
  12. Goddess on the Loose
  13. Catch 22
  14. Son of a Gipsy
  15. Ambassador of Fantastic
  16. Ain’t Gonna Last
  17. Spider
  18. Turn the Page
  19. The Devil Stole the Beat from the Lord
  20. Pyrric Victory
  21. Eight Arms to Hold You
  22. Motherfucker
  23. Those Boots Are Made for Flying

Watch “Catch 22” official audio here: