REVIEW: ROGUE DEAL – ESCAPE FROM JUSTICE

These Italian upstarts bring a dash of theatricality to the NWOTHM scene with a fun debut album that leaves you wanting more.

Rogue Deal is an Italian band from Verona that is looking to make a strong impression on the NWOTHM scene. Escape From Justice is their debut full-length album. When THENWOTHM Editor Rob tossed this one my way, I had to jump on it due to the rad cover art and a chance to see what Italy is bringing to the table. As a fan of bands like Doomsword and the prime years of Rhapsody, (before they changed the name to Luca Turilli’s Golden Rhapsody of Fire Super Star Ultra 64 featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry Series) I’ve always enjoyed the melodramatic stylings that Italy brings to its metallic musical endeavors and was hoping these guys would add some of that flair to the proceedings. I didn’t know what to expect going in and I was pleasantly surprised. Let’s get to the track-by-track breakdown:

1. DEFCON 1 fades into being with an ominous soundscape that gives way to riffage. This instrumental track evokes the legends from the NWOBHM movement at their most heroic, leading us into the album proper…

2. Lightning Force starts off in a familiar but very welcome fashion with a simple but effective riff. The wailing vocals are both aggressive and appropriately theatrical. Great guitar work seals the deal and lets you know that the band is coming out swinging. This is a solid start.

3. Night Ranger is a straightforward banger of a track that gets its message across within the track’s opening moments. This is one of those tracks that embodies everything that the NWOTHM movement is all about. The twin-guitar harmonies call to mind the great Iron Maiden and you can’t help but smile between bouts of headbanging. This track is an absolute joy.

4. Condemned To Power kicks off immediately with two-guitar wizardry and a very welcome bass riff underscoring the action. Rogue Deal takes the right hints from our forefathers and makes sure that the bass is nice and audible in the mix. Where this track falls a little short is in the lyric department. The song gets a little too wordy leading to some awkward moments heading into the chorus. Taking a “less is more” approach would have benefited this track greatly. The solid instrumentation and more fantastic guitars keep things rolling here.

5. Starmirror is another solid instrumental track with some top-tier soloing that leads us into the second half of the album…

6. The Road Again begins as a more subdued rocker but it morphs into one of the stronger tracks on the album. The more wistful lyrics and vocals work to the song’s advantage and help it stand out from the more typical songs found on the rest of the record. The track kicks into higher gear at the halfway mark and really cements it as one that will stick around and make your playlist.

7. Streetfighter takes us back to pure headbanger territory. It starts fast and does not let up until the final second. If you have a track called “Streetfighter” and it’s anything less than badass then you’ve misunderstood the assignment and should be sent home to your grandma’s attic or something. Luckily Rogue Deal have a solid grasp of heavy metal and are able to have some fun along the way.

8. When Fear Has Tales To Tell can be designated as nothing less than an epic closer since it clocks in at nearly ten minutes in length. The band uses this time to take advantage of their strongest element: the instrumental musicianship. The guitars get plenty of canvas to paint a sonic picture that the listener can soak up. As the guitars feverishly gallop away, the solos blaze a sometimes familiar but always welcome path. Some of the vocals and lyrics stumble a little bit but what this track goes for is nothing less than admirable.

Wrapping Up:

Rogue Deal clearly have a lot of talent and it’s immediately evident from the first track of this album to the last. It has everything a fan of NWOTHM could want: ripping guitars, wailing vocals, strong melodies and a sense of urgency. It even has a touch of operatic flavor that fans of Italian metal know and love. The only thing that keeps this album from being the strong statement it should have been is some stale songwriting and lyrical clumsiness. If this particular element can be streamlined in future albums, these guys have all the tools they need to create a classic that can end up on top ten lists. The record isn’t perfect but Rogue Deal have a lot to offer and are worthy of your support.