Formed in 2021, in Barcelona, Spain, SAVAGED released their debut single “Knights of Metal” the same year, meeting a very positive and enthusiastic feedback. Their first live shows were full of energy and the band is a live powerhouse! Without even having an album released and they performed at Headbangers Open Air 2023 next to bands such as Riot V, Jag Panzer, Sacred Reich, Fifth Angel and many more, releasing also the single “Running for Your Love (Tonight)”. Their ambitious debut album “Night Stealer” will be released on January 26th, where you will find 8 headbanging tracks of pure classic heavy metal, recommended for fans of Tokyo Blade, Saxon, Night Demon, Enforcer, Skull Fist.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Javier Felez in Moontower Studios. Cover artwork by Old School Crew. Photography by Marc Teruel.

Line-Up
Aleix Harris- Bass
Cristian Blade- Bass, Drums
Jamie Killhead- Guitars (lead), vocals
Joan Grimalt- Guitars (rhythm)

REVIEW

The Iberian peninsula has been something of a fertile land for NWOTHM in the last few years, spearheaded by acts like HITTEN and the dearly missed RAVENSIRE, and SAVAGED are the latest in a long line of Iberian metal bands to take up axe.

The simplicity of their band logo points to a simpler time in heavy metal history, and has an almost DIY attitude to it, while still having character. Then there’s the album cover, which is obviously cool as hell. I mean, it’s like a cat/dog thing attacking a moon, that’s automatically badass.

Our first track to begin things was “I Will Fight”, and kickstarts things with an incredibly drumroll and a solid banshee cry that prove that SAVAGED are in fact here to fight. This is speed metal personified, and I love it. A brief hurricane solo at the minute mark proves that the band is not here to take prisoners, but to melt faces. Another banger solo goes until the 3 minute mark, when the incredible keyboard bridge takes things into a whole other level, and bleeds into the second part of the solo, which is far more melodic in tone. Then at around the 4:20 mark, there’s a brief drum call before the song transitions into another tempo, just so SAVAGED can show off.

Next up came “Tons of Leather”, which I assume is what JUDAS PRIEST said when determining their image. My JP reference paid off because the opening of this track reminded me greatly of classic PRIEST, with vocalist Jamie Killhead ushering things in with a monstrous wail. The melody and delivery of the vocals are a treat in this one, particularly at around the 2 minute mark. A proper band chanting bridge occurs at 4:30 mark, and as we all know, those always lead to something epic. In this case, it led to a vastly different sequence, wherein the vox were gruff and ragged, before reprising the melody from the 2 minute mark.

“Knights of Metal” followed suit and a nice melodic guitar intro that paved the way for the main riff to sizzle into the fray. Not quite sure why, but I was getting a slight WASP influence in this one, and I cannot place it for the life of me. This is a proper speed metal tune, with a hooky chorus and some blitzing axework threaded together with some razor-sharp riffing and a barrage of drums.

To bookend the first half of the record, we have “Welcome to…”, a minute long interlude with some solid keys that echoed the sounds of church bells and chimes. It’s good stuff, in my book, as I am a total stooge for this type of melodrama. The little ditty ends with a demonic voice calling out “Welcome to Elm Street.”

In a shocking twist, “Elm Street” was the next track on the record. Proper 80s glam inspired riffing kicks things off, gradually picking up in intensity until a gnarly whistle sends it into overdrive. The melodious nature that the chorus is delivered is so hauntingly sharp that it was addictive in all the best ways. Sick respite of licks at the 3:30 mark, great stuff there. The harsh vocals afterwards were a shock to the system, but a good shock, they added a whole other layer to this already loaded track. Couple that with a spitfire of a solo and you’ve got a banger to boot. My favorite track of the album thus far, and we’ve still got three to go.

Next was “Money Sucks”. Pounding drums lead us deep into the fray as more solid riffage ensues, and Killhead’s battle cry ushers into the track properly. Excellent Maiden-esque melody axework at the 2:50 mark, great stuff all around. Not to mention, an absolute facemelter of a solo. LOVE those sustains! While not the most memorable track on the album, it’s another one that’s stocked full of pure metal goodness.

Our penultimate offering was “Stealing the Night”. All of the instruments come together here to bring us into the title track; great riffs, a banshee cry, the chugging of the bass and the locomotive drums. It’s a flawless intro. On top of that the delivery of the title is infectious and impossible to not sing along with. It’s by far the shortest proper track on the album, but that’s not a bad thing inherently, as it helps to make it stand out.

Then our final taste of SAVAGED was “Running for Your Love (Tonight)”. Killhead’s voice booms out like a warhorn to sally us forth into the battle. It’s very clear to see why this was chosen as the lead single, as it checks all of the right boxes. Just when it seemed that the track was full-steam ahead, a great little bridge crept into the song, and without it the track wouldn’t feel complete. Joan Grimalt once more shows his chops with another great little solo, just before the song reprises that almost speed metal feel that it had in the beginning. It’s a song that comes full circle, and that’s a wonderful thing.

CONCLUSION

This was the first new record I listened to this year and what a great way to kick off 2024! I should’ve known from the album art that this would be a banger, and rest assured it was. There’s a complexity to the songwriting that you might not notice on a first listen, but once you notice it, then the entire album really clicks with you. Don’t miss the album when it releases on January 26th!

TheNWOTHM Score: 9/10

SAVAGED
Bandcamp: https://savaged.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savagedheavy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savaged_official/