Vicious Rumors
Warball

Release date: October 16th 2006
Label: Mascot Records

Distribution: Target (Denmark)

Website:
www.viciousrumors.com
Style:
Power Metal

Rating: 45/100
Reviewed by: Kenn Jensen
Date: September 25th 2006

I have nothing but respect for what Geoff Thorpe and James Rivera have done respectively in the past. So this "marriage" must be a match made in heaven for power metal fans?

No, and not even close! James Rivera is a very talented vocalist, but a very bad fit for Geoff Thorpe's new Vicious Rumors style of metal. His Rob Halford scream in the beginning of the album shows just how much strength and power he has, and he does a good job in the power metal parts of the songs, but fails miserably in the aggressive parts. But that's not the worst part of the album - the choirs are awful, quite simply horrible!

Geoff Thorpe has reunited with original members Larry Howe (drums) and Dave Starr (bass) on this album, and Brad Gillis (Ex-Ozzy Osbourne, Night Ranger) contributes with some excellent guitar leads, which is the only positive thing about this album. There is some really awesome, blistering guitar work at hand here...

Sadly I can only shake my head in disbelief, the biggest disappointment of 2006 to me by far. Sad, when a band that in the past has delivered genre classics like "Digital Dictator", "Welcome to the Ball" and their self titled album, delivers such a bad album...
I really can't recommend this album, not even to fans... I'd much rather suggest that you pick up one of their classic albums in stead!