Shakra – Mad World

Opening tracks are traditionally the most exciting and vibrating of an album, isn’t it right? Well, I supposed it was a rule until I had Shakra “Mad World” in my hands and in my ears. Though “Fireline” is a good track with a nice grip, following track “Too Much Is Not Enough” is the one which really makes my mind up. Maybe it is so because of the catchy chorus, I guess, but if I were the producer of “Mad World,” “Too Much Is Not Enough” would be the opening track. Just between you and me, thanks the universe I’m not…

“Mad World” is one of those albums where the band choses to have a varied selection of songs. There is no track similar to each other in this album. I have to mention that the most prominent Heavy Metal bands from the 1980s used to do that. There are tracks with catchy riffs which the fan somewhat recognizes the sonance. It is so because the band opted for a known and common melodic sequence. It happens all the time. “Thousand Kings” is one of them. There are other tracks as “He Comes Around” which presents a diverse rhythimic proposal. But not that far from the ones that are commonly used. It is a track to break the chains, let’s put it this way. However, the rule in “Mad World” is the catchy choruses which, by the way, are somehow very nice though catchy. Yeah, Metal fans aren’t really prone to like catchy choruses. Odd or not, it is so.

Besides all that, is the album that will please the Heavy Metal fan with its touches of Guns N’ Roses hard rock as in “Son of Fire” and the variety of melodies that is possible to run into during the listening. It is not a hard album to like it. It’s worth taking a deep look at the power ballad “New Tomorrow” which ends the album. Guitar solos are pristine and inspired. A band with more than twenty-five years on the road really knows what to do.

Shakra  “Mad World” will be released on February 28th via AFM Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Fireline
  2. Too Much Is Not Enough
  3. A Roll of the Dice
  4. Mad World
  5. When He Comes Around
  6. Thousand Kings
  7. I Still Rock
  8. Fake News
  9. When It All Falls Down
  10. Turn the Light On
  11. Son of Fire
  12. New Tomorrow

Watch “Mad World” music video here: