review Ross The Boss - Hailstorm

This is my thoughts and review and photos of page by page of the new Ross The Boss cd Hailstorm. I got the digipak version which have an additional bonus song. I had listen to it for the past few days with earphones on while walking in noisy public environment and while waiting and also onboard the bus and train. Not at home, I got better things to do lol.
But first I'll write in my Market Malay.
Anyway, my thoughts on Ross The Boss 1st cd is here - http://deaf-angel.blogspot.com/2008/12/ross-boss-new-metal-leader.html



Dua band rock ( metal ? ) omputeh baru yang wujud lepas tahun 2000 yang aku betul2 prihatin, dan cuba sedaya upaya nak ambik tahu ialah.. Lost Horizon dan Ross The Boss. Lain2 dengar jugak, tapi ni dua aku tabik spring. Selera gue.
Bimbang jugak band Ross The Boss ni jenis buat satu album lepas tu dibubarkan. Nasib baik dorang maintain. Dan tu hari tengok youtube dorang perform Catch The Rainbow kat Bloodstock, wooo happy sey. Jadi aku memang dah excited giler nak dapatkan cd kedua band ni sampai aku hantar mesej kat penjual cd ni cakap aku jauh kat Asia, tunggu cd nak sampai kena dua minggu lebih, jadi mintak hantar kat aku awal sikit sebelum tarikh mula jualan di Eropah. Tu aku dapat awal tu.




Sapa yang rindu Manowar nye style Heavy Metal zaman 80an, campuran album Battle Hymn + Kings Of Metal, ngan campuran rock n roll giler babi style Ross The Boss, gitar solo-gitar solo Ross The Boss yang menarik dan syok stim giler, then ni cd korang bleh pegi cek-out.
Sambil tunggu Joey Di Maio buat Manowar best balik ngan album baru ngan lagu2 baru yang best2 dan jangan buat album cam sial macam Warriors Of The World dan Gods Of War. Louder Than Hell ok la jugak, Triumph Of Steel pun lagi best, tapi dua2 tak bleh celen 1980-1988 nye Manowar releases ngan Ross The Boss.
Aku tak kesah, nak pakai cam mana, nak cover album cammana, nak berbual 'metal sana''metal sini' lantak la.
Janji, lagu mesti best.



Dan kalo korang perasan, Manowar last full album tahun 2007 kan? Ross The Boss dah keluar dua full album dah 2008 dan 2010.
Manowar macam problematik gitu, buat lagu nyanyi 16 bahasa, ok la, rock la kira, tapi lagu macam siol buat pe. Sorry la, ngan Scott Columbus pun dah bukak mulut, Joey DiMaio dah jadi macam penipu besar lak sekarang. Tu ah, cakap "metal" berdegar2. Ni nak Battle Hymn 2011 lak... Ala... Metal Daze cammana nak buat balik? dah perfect dah lagu tu.
Abis tu bayangkan nak rakam balik " We Met On English Ground.. " abis Ross The Boss takde? tak style la. Kalo nak, main live full album la kan. Battle Hymn tu kasi solo panjang2 macam dvd live The Day The Earth Shook pun takpe.

I better stop before this becomes a personal Manowar Bashing post from a frustrated longtime fan.

My first observations on receiving the cd
a. Songwritting credits are shared by Ross, the bassist Carsten Kettering and singer Patrick Fuchs. I think this is great.
b. Scott Columbus/Rhino/Italian Army Of Immortals/German Defender Of Faith/ etc were in the thank you list. Still no mention of Joey DeMaio and Eric Adams.
c. If the covers of this cd and the previous one already remind us of the Battle Hymn Eagle, you should see the backcover, it seems the Battle Hymn Eagle just spread its wings.

1. I.A.G - A short instrumental which is a very nice majestic intro. Fits movies like Gladiator etc. I cant believe how good the intro is as I was not confident this cd will be as good as the first album, but I was wrong, this cd is better.
2. Kingdom Arise - The starting reminds me of Blood Of The Kings. Fabulous fast catchy song. "lord of the fire, lord of the land, lord of the water, lord of the wind" :-)



3. Dead Man's Curve - I think most of us has heard this song since one or two months back as its released for some compilation.
A song that will join Highway Star, Freewheel Burning, Spirit Of The Wheel, Speed Demons type of super songs. " I Ride The Gambling Horse At Extended Trot "
4. Hailstorm - Ok song but great guitars again.



5. Burn Alive - Ah catchy melodic pop chorus, although lyrically about burning in hell haha. " the devil and the deep blue sea...burn alive burn alive in the fires of hell!! ". Ooo this is a band I want to see live, and I got to check where is Ross The Boss position first.
6. Crom - A bit like Ronnie James Dio + Black Sabbath doomy song. Slowly this song is turning to one of my favourites. This song should be played loud with earphones and let the nice drums by Matze "THE GERMAN HAMMER" Mayer pounds to the ears.



7. Behold The Kingdom - I think the weak song in the album. Maybe its my taste which prefer faster RTB songs. But when the song reach the guitar solo till the end, the song transformed itself and RTB can solo forever and its alrite for me.
8. Great Gods Glorious - Glorious Instrumental indeed. Fast and melodic. Suitable for jubilation scenes lol.



9. Shining Path - Another nice song. " Forever Soldiers, Under Our Command ".
10. Among The Ruins - Slow number but not necessary boring haha. Though I think Master Of The Wind is still one of the best slow rock songs ever.




11. Empire's Anthem - And this my friends is Battle Hymn part II. Another song which you can imagine 10,000 horse riders riding side by side to battle.
The backing vocals is something I wish Iron Maiden tried for the Final Frontier album.
The ending of this song is as wonderful and grand as the intro of this cd.
I wonder how Joey De Maio feel on hearing this song.

Bonus track
12. Vindicator - Nice fast song about a jet fighter pilot who is at the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington waiting to be catapulted to the skies.


In conclusion,
I think being metal is an in thing nowadays. So for whatever its worth, I think this is a superb metal 'as I know it' cd for those who like Manowar style of music. And I suggest people who have never heard of Ross The Boss band to listen to this cd.