CoC : Steel Prophet - Messiah : Review

Steel Prophet - _Messiah_
(Nuclear Blast, 2000)
by: Paul Schwarz (6 out of 10)

Time for some honesty. I don't know who Steel Prophet are making records for, but it certainly isn't me. I have no doubt that if you've followed the band's long career, liked their Nuclear Blast debut of last year (_Dark Hallucinations_ [CoC #39]) and want more of the same, then you'll dig _Messiah_, because it is essentially the same. The vocal style is the -same- Dickinson-inspired wailing; the guitars have the -same- subdued crunch to them; the drums have the -same- heavy, electronic thud; and the song structures are the -same- traditional metal run-throughs, adding nothing to the tomes of those who wrote the various rule books. I recognise that this isn't my personal favourite as brands of traditional metal go and I also recognise that Steel Prophet are doing a pretty decent job production, playing and writing-wise in reproducing this sound. However, simple fact remains that _Messiah_ contains nothing remotely new, and none of it gets me going more than maybe humming a half line or taking note of the occasional solo. The mark reflects objectivity and the fact that _Messiah_ doesn't irritate me like a bad rash, rather than reflecting an undiluted, subjective, personal opinion.

(article published 25/5/2000)

ALBUMS
8/12/2001	K Buchanan	7	Steel Prophet - Book of the Dead
5/19/1999	P Schwarz	6	Steel Prophet - Dark Hallucinations