Lizzy Borden - Deal With the Devil

As a band (and lead singer) who borrows their name from an alleged murderess, you can't expect anything but a gruesome, take em by storm tornado attack of a bloody combination of murder and metal. Lizzy Borden was the underground kings of shock'n'rock that coupled the theatrical staged blood lettings of Alice Cooper, the costumed pagentry of KISS and musically, the heavy metal stylings of their heavier contemporaries, borrowing the double axe attacks of Iron Maiden and some of the glam-tastic melodic glitz of Vinnie Vincent Invasion. The result was instant combustion, as they blazed through the country bringing their stageshow to life nightly with the PMRC lurking in the background. Controversy followed them like the plague but the fans kept turning out in hopes of being showered with a little blood or to catch sight of the illusion of some new unspeakable act coming to life. For those that wanted to be entertained by metal maniacs that were more hardcore than the cartoony W.A.S.P., they turned to Lizzy, until the band became entangled in legal battles and abandoned the scene after nearly a decade of bringing some excellent metal to the masses that was the alternative to the pop-rock stuff that blitzed the airwaves between doses of Tiffany and Milli Vanilli.

Almost ten years after that split, Lizzy Borden is back and better than ever. "Deal With the Devil" proves that they remember their roots, and wish to pick up the pace where "Master of Disguise" left off. "DWtD" flaunts an assortment of styles, including some of the experimentation of "MoD" and the raw onslaught of "Love You to Pieces". Bits of modern metal can be isolated out of their melting pot of sounds, including hints of current day power metal and Bruce Dickinson's past two solo albums before he jumped onto the sinking ship known as Iron Maiden. Musically it's fearsome, peppered with fresh guitar solos and riding on the strength of lead singer Lizzy's pristinely powerful vocal delivery. He's Bruce Dickinson, Geoff Tate, Rob Halford and Danzig rolled into one package that is sure to please those that love pure vocal prowess.

Most (if not all) of Lizzy's albums throughout the decade of excess were based around themes and their latest is not one to stray from tradition. As the disc's title would suggest, this time around they use a variety of controversial subjects: religion, sex, and death to illustrate the various pitfalls of the seven deadly sins in a psychotic twist of the "Let's Make a Deal" game show where the only thing being bartered is the most precious thing to a human life: the soul.

01.] "There Will Be Blood Tonight" - Lizzy's Bruce Dickinson/Geoff Tate-esque command of the music is fleshed out right from the start. A throwback to Lizzy Borden of old, it's a straightforward offering that flexes its muscles in the axeslinging assault and murderously gruesome lyrics, polished off with a beefy production that makes their back catalogue of material sound static and hollow in comparision.

02.] "Hell is For Heroes" - Rumbling obscured drumming usher in this fast paced no holds barred tune that gallops forward with power and even a bit of majesty. Ascending to the status of Hero doesn't require indulging in an early death to descend into hell only to kick back by the river of fire, toasting satan while his minions lurk in the shadows waiting to drag you to your first of a thousand torture sessions. Nope, this one is a celebration to those who raise some hell in real life, going against the grain to seperate yourself from the pack of sheep that populate our Earth.

03.] "Deal With the Devil" - Another massively meaty metal massacre that sounds like it roared right out of 1987, a surprisingly tasty bridge spawns a huge chorus that affirms the inevitable, you gotta deal with the devil! The sinister interlude that builds back into the chaotic chorus is just darkly divine. This un is for the headbangers and those that aren't afraid to rock! "Go to heaven! Go to hell! Give control to me, body and soul!"

04.] "Zanzibar" - An amazing showcase of talent and inventive songwriting, plus guitarist's Alex Nelson's mastery of the sitar. Lizzy Borden delves into Arabic/Middle Eastern influences (a'la a crushingly heavy "Gates of Babylon" or Dio's "Egypt.."), stir in some of the darker edged assault of Bruce Dickinson's "The Chemical Wedding" and top it off with some modern US power metal flourishes. The result is a delicious mixture of flashy metal, held together beautifully with the garnish of a variety of exotic sounds that conjure images of sandswept locales burning in desire of the lust for sins of the flesh.

05.] "Loving You is Murder" - The magnum opus of the album, this one just screams quality at the top of its lungs. Yes folks, this is pure metallic goodness wrapped up in a way that allows it to drive itself endlessly into the core of the soul simply by addictiveness. The made-for-singing-along chorus is absolutely to die for, maybe literally even! Enriched by the spirit of melody and Lizzy's take on the vocals that echo the mystifying deeper tones of Danzig and the higher pitched air raid siren feel that made Queensryche's Tate such a joy to listen to around the birth of Queensryche. Written in the 80s, this gem has finally seen the light of day, most thankfully! A celebration of metal past and present, the 1980s stamp is most assuredly intact in this barn burner of a heart stopping track! "I bring you black roses, you never ever call, cos without love there can be nothing afterall...the rest is silence, when I hear you speak my name..."

06.] "We Only Come Out At Night" - This track offers something a little different and depending on how forgiving your musical tastes may be, you will either embrace it with open arms or wonder what the hell they were thinking. It's kind of 'light' industrial/grindcore in the style of Alice Cooper's "Brutal Planet" and assorted material from Rob Zombie, so of course it ripples with an evilish feel. The crushing riffs mockingly blaze in an inferno of harsh realities. Contrary to what may be believed from listening to this one, it is not an attempt to cash in on the after effects of the fading industrial craze, as "We Only..." was originally written in the 1980s and was performed on the band's 1992 tour before they called it quits, and thus was never recorded since it was concieved between the release of "Master of Disguise" and their breakup.

07.] "Generation Landslide" - A faithful rendition of Alice Cooper's anthem from 1973's "Billion Dollar Babies", for those of high school-ish age, it still has enough edge to raise the nostalgic wildside in all of us. The impressive glossy production makes this one thunder with a new conviction that even the original lacked in places. While the song itself is decent, it does show it's age, those that cut their metal fangs on the likes of records such as this will find it more appealing than those who didn't join the metal legions until the 80s.

08.] "The World Is Mine" - "There is a passage I got memorized it seems appropriate for this situation..." A bit from the Bible then follows, interrupted by a well-held scream and that same Tate-ish feel is sustained throughout by a delivery of higher pitched vocals than seen so far on this disc. While it doesn't milk the devilish delights of the previous tracks, there's still enough to recommend it, including a slow-growing chorus.

09.] "State of Pain" - More of the same, but the chorus features some softer background vocals to provide an element of light to the shadows of the song structure. A fast, quick metal treat with it's own quirky qualities to set it apart from all the others.

10.] "(This Ain't) The Summer of Love" - Superb! Blue Oyster Cult's 1976 classic has never sounded this good before. A minute longer than the BOC's, and every second of it well spent on raw guitar riffs bursting at the seams with energy and precision. In fact, the entire band tackles this one with a fiery enthusiasm. The original sounds lackluster and folkish when compared to this full throttle cover. A piercing scream at the end sends it up in a cloud of smoke.

11.] "Believe" - An ominious acoustic opening with the smooth yet biting voice of Lizzy on the top, lulls the listener into a false sense of security... just as they have decided this is to be a softening of pace, things kick into a rich blues-with-balls swing. Plenty of surprises are awaiting, including a splendid atmospheric section that requires hearing to be fully appreciated. That little bit breaks out into a magnificent display of blues drenched guitar heroics that fit the song like a glove. A breathtaking and welcome change from the aggressive earlier offerings. "After midnight I can feel you slip away... even when you are not here, I still want you anyway..."