Many years ago, in 2006, a then good friend of mine sent me an album to listen, one that he thought I would enjoy. That album was “Vampires in The Church” by St Madness and, with my favourite tracks being ‘Vampires in the Church’, ‘Arizona’ and ‘Ever After’, I absolutely loved it.
Now, 12 years later, I have been given their new album “Bloodlustcapades” to review, and guess what? I absolutely love this one too.
Formed in Tempe, Arizona in 1993, they originally had the name Crown of Thorns, but in 1997, after discovering a Christian rock band from New Jersey had trademarked the name, they changed to St Madness, and have been so ever since.
Although not to everyone’s taste, the band has achieved some fine accolades during their career, including performing at the 12th and 13th iconic Milwaukee Metalfest in 1998 and 1999, and receiving the Los Angeles Music Award for Metal Album of the Year for their 2013 album “Carnimetal”.
They have also performed on stage with a host of bands including Van Halen, Monster Magnet, Gwar, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Flotsam and Jetsam, Sacred Reich, Lynch Mob, Fates Warning, Phil Lewis, Six Feet Under, Death, Destruction, Iced Earth, Black Oak Arkansas, The Misfits and D.R.I! Impressive, huh?
“Bloodlustcapades” is the band’s 11th full length CD release.
One of the things I love about St Madness is that you cannot pigeon hole them into any particular genre or category (and if you have read any of my previous reviews you will know I absolutely HATE pigeon holing with a passion!!) They mix traditional heavy metal with thrash and groove elements and are even not scared to throw in the odd country, blues and southern rock influence either. Why should a band have to fit into one particular strain of metal when they can so easily cover a whole range as easily as St Madness do!?
This is an aggressive album, raw and uncomplicated, with heavy riffs galore throughout the album and drummer Sircyko plays out of his skin, but one that also shows they had a lot of fun doing.
St Madness are a theatrical band, combining face makeup with onstage dancers and actors to provide not only a treat for the ears but one for the eyes too. Even some of the music and lyrics lean more to the comical side of things but this is no way a bad thing. This is obviously a band who love what they do but want to have some fun while they are doing it.
The album features 13 fantastic that range from the heavy “King of the Goddamn World” to the instrumental that is “Rigel” to the more comical “Made in China.” There are also two awesome covers, one of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and the other of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” which is something that really shouldn’t work, yet it does so brilliantly.
If you have never heard anything by St Madness before, go out and buy this album! It really is a fantastic piece of music! It should appeal to a whole host of metal fans, but we all know just how finicky some metal fans can be!!
This is a metal album but with a twist…and a turn!! And I think that sets them apart from other metal bands.
St Madness just seem to be getting better and better!
TRACK LIST:
1. Day of the Dead
2. Folsom Prison Blues
3. Don’t Be Like the Blind
4. The Arrogance of Man
5. This is Your Reality
6. Made in China
7. Walk Your Own Path
8. Bloodlustcapades
9. Can’t Help Falling in Love with You
10. Warnings from the Past
11. King of the Damn World
12. Rigel
13. He’s Riding a Harley in Heaven
Originally posted on Ever Metal