German metallers ride into glory!!

DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present the highly anticipated debut album of Germany’s SAVAGE, Glory Riders, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

Hailing from Bavaria, SAVAGE formed in 2019 and promptly began solidifying their aesthetic. Then a trio, SAVAGE’s sound remained firmly within the 1980s, and specifically on the darker and more dangerous side of the Sunset Strip – namely W.A.S.P. and early Mötley Crüe. The first sinful fruit was borne with their self-titled debut EP, which was recorded at the end of 2021 and then self-released during the following summer. Strictly DIY from mixing and mastering to promotion and distribution, Savage showed that SAVAGE had the fire already raging: word of mouth spread worldwide, the record nearly sold out, and work had already begun on their debut full-length!

Now with the addition of rhythm guitarist Alex “Axel” Warrior, SAVAGE have at least developed into the (fuck-like-a) beast they always aimed for, and are prepared to deliver a bound-to-be-classic debut album: Glory Riders. Almost presciently titled, Glory Riders soon becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of dirty and raw metal – or, as the band rightly liken it, MEAN HEAVY METAL. From sound and spirit on down to production and overall attitude, SAVAGE have the sleaziest side of classic American metal down COLD…or, should that be “fiery”? Indeed, even with the categorically cruising mid-tempo at which they move, SAVAGE positively ooze energy every single second here; hooks and heaviness take equal weight, and there’s just the right amount of spaciousness here (ala W.A.S.P.’s nigh-untouchable opening trio of albums) to lend moodiness and mystery to the band’s stadium-ready bravura. Neither flashy nor rudimentary, Glory Riders is simply stripped-down and muscular where it needs to be, keeping emphasis on the songwriting (and solos!) and letting SAVAGE’s irresistible attitude take hold.

Without hyperbole, SAVAGE have hereby thrown down the gauntlet for any band, ever, attempting to invoke the sound & spirit of the aforementioned glory years of W.A.S.P. and Mötley Crüe. Further references include classic Twisted Sister, early Lizzy Borden, Halloween, Impaler, and even Coup d’état-era Plasmatics, but one listen to Glory Riders and you’ll be convinced that these still-young gods are the REAL fucking DEAL!

REVIEW

Germany’s SAVAGE are a bit of fun experience for me. I’ve been following these lads from Bavaria for the better part of a year now, and enjoyed their self-titled debut EP from 2022. It was rough and raw, and that’s exactly what I loved about it. Does the full-length bring that same trademark German metal to the table? Read on in my track-by-track review to find out.

Kicking things off is “Carcass on Your Shoulders” which starts out slower at first with some simple, yet infectious, guitar picking. The snarly and raspy vocals took me instantly, but more than that, the drumming in this one is amazing. It has just the right amount of explosiveness that made it shake my bones. Being the opener, this was also a nice test to see how the production would be be for the album, and I love it. I love the rawness of it, really gives it an authentic 80s feel. As for the track itself, overall, it’s a solid opening song, with a nice solo to bookend the whole thing.

“Life in Chains” followed, and was a bit shorter than the first song. It began with a nice, smooth, bassline, before vocalist Pawel Nemkovic kickstarted things with a nice shriek. The chorus was much more pronounced than the previous song, and SAVAGE was really wearing their WASP roots when they recorded this one. A standout for sure, that was again ended with a sweltering solo.

“Make my Day” was next up, and started with another slick bass line and more of that killer drumming. Seriously, a huge shoutout to both bassist, Kevin Steelrider, and to drummer, Tommy Z, for their incredible performances all across the album. Another killer track with a parasitic chorus that’s been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it. And the tempo shift at 2:36 is a feast for the ears.

Came next was the chuckle-inducing “Master Bator”. For a song title of a wordplay on “masturbator”, this track went surprisingly hard ;). It’s fun and dumb, and perfect for the style of 80s metal that SAVAGE is sending a love letter to.

“Wheels of Fire” was next, and was definitely the most technical of the songs thus far. Not to say it’s not good ole sleaze metal goodness, because it is. But it felt like SAVAGE was almost showing their musical chops a bit here, with the extended intro and greater focus on instruments vs the vocals.

“Nightmare Invaders” followed, and immediately upended the previous track as most technical. It started with a simple, but slithering guitar riff and some chugging drums and bass, all building up to a crescendo that gave way to arguably the riff of the year so far. Holy hell, that was gnarly. This track is EVERYTHING that I love about heavy metal. Songs about the macabre and about horror, but told as if the vocalist is telling a story ala Dickinson or Dio, and SAVAGE surprisingly does that here. Easily one of my favourite songs on the album and a contender for song of year. It’s that freaking good.

“Glory Riders” had a tough act to follow. This one began with a more simplistic riff to start things off, but with another gnarly one thrown in for good measure. Hats off to vox/lead Nemkovic, and rhythm guitarist, Axel Steelrider, for their riff-creating abilities, they give me hope for what other axe-wielding goodness they can churn up in the future. This was another barn-burner of a song, that I’d consider to be neck-and-neck with “Nightmare Invaders” in terms of quality. Ear worm of a chorus and a face-melting solo to end things.

Finally, we come to “Thirty & Dirty”, the lead single. Being the final track on an album is just as pressuring as being the opener, by now, listeners are already hooked enough to get this far, but did SAVAGE seal the deal? Much shorter than the previous two tracks, at just over 4 minutes, this one starts with a riff that reminded me of driving on the road (for some reason). You can really see why SAVAGE chose this one as the lead single for their debut album, it’s riffy and catchy, in a way that’s both satisfying veteran metalheads, but accessible enough for new listeners to check out the album.

Conclusion

Admittedly, it took me a song or two for the vocals to really click with me, but once they did, and I understood how SAVAGE was approaching this record, they really got me. If you’re a fan of early WASP, then I can easily recommend this to you. Like their self-titled EP from last year, this debut full-length is a treat to the ears, with some serious chops from all of the fearsome foursome. This record left me eager for more and for the full release (and not just because it comes out on my birthday of October the 20th). The ONLY thing that I would say holds the record back is that Pawel Nemkovic’s vocals are definitely an acquired taste, but it’s a taste that I acquired a long time ago.

The NWOTHM Score: 9/10

SAVAGE is also joining fellow NWOTHM newcomers, TAILGUNNER, and sleaze metallers, STOLEN, for a few dates in Germany this October:
Oct 4 Hamburg– https://tinyurl.com/44kk5cdj
Oct 5 Essen– https://tinyurl.com/fat4z6b2
Oct 6 Filderstadt– https://tinyurl.com/mfvtsnt9

SAVAGE
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