When it was announced in early 2009 that Richard Christy had finished working on music for a new project, hard rock fans were intrigued. Long-known for his drumming chops displayed through DEATH, ICED EARTH, and more, Christy had become known recently not for music, but for his gig on THE HOWARD STERN SHOW, along with acting turns in the direct-to-dvd horror flop ALBINO FARM and the sequel to HAROLD & KUMAR. Caught by curiosity, fans were curious to know exactly what type of project Christy had been assembling. After the announcement that former Judas Priest frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens along with guitarist producer Jason Suecof and bassist Steve Digiorgio had joined the mix, CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED was established to have some serious metal cred.
On their SELF-TITLED debut album (Metal Blade, Feb 2, 2010), CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED (CWOTD) establishes themselves as the latest bearer of a heavy metal torch carried by the likes of PRIEST and DIO before them.
A 35-minute shredfest from start to back, the musicianship is nothing short of top notch, as to be expected from a group of players that have logged time with acts like TESTAMENT and the aforementioned Iced Earth and Death. The first single “Ghost Town” (see the video below) is akin to late 80’s thrash with a melodic chorus reminiscent of those bellowed through countless arenas of the era. Despite it’s throwback appeal, CWOTD is by no means a dated-sounding homage.
Moving forward through the album, “Creating our Machine” and “Manifestations” shine as highlights within an album devoid of any real sour notes.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
