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Autore/Author: ARMAGEDDON Titolo/Title: “The Money Mask” + Second Chance bonus disc Etichetta/Label: Rex Records (Retroactive Records) Anno/Year: 1989 (2007) Nazione/Nation: Holland Website: Armageddon on Firestream Myspace: armageddonva Genere/Genre: heavy metal

ITALIAN VERSION & ENGLISH VERSION

ITALIAN VERSION

Quest’ottimo prodotto uscito per la Retroactive Records (come sempre attivissima nella riscoperta delle gloriose band christian del passato) raccoglie in due CD l’unico LP uscito per gli Armageddon, ossia “The Money Talk”, del 1989, più un secondo dischetto che raccoglie i Demotape, versioni differenti di brani dell’LP ed un inedito intitolato ‘In Your Face’ dei Second Chance, prima incarnazione della band.
La band nasce nella seconda metà degli anni ’80 negli Stati Uniti con il nome di Second Chance e a questo periodo sono riferiti i brani contenuti nel secondo CD. Solo quando di due musicisti leader del progetto riescono ad ottenere il contratto per il disco il nome della band viene sostituito con quello di Armageddon.
I due musicisti in questione sono il chitarrista Robby Lee e il cantante Mike Vance; il loro primo pezzo ad uscire fu ‘(Liberation From) The Blazing Wasteland’ sulla compilation East Cost Metal del 1988.
Il brano, che compare anche sull’esordio, è uno dei più potenti e diretti dei nostri; si tratta di una bella cavalcata epic heavy in classico stile e parla della confusione che crea nella mente il diavolo, ricordando come noi siamo però protetti da Dio e in lui troviamo la nostra salvezza: “Received a power that is stronger than temptation / The gift of God, the Redeemer and Salvation / We lift Him up to excel our exultation / The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, our liberation / Our liberation from the wasteland!”
Altro brano decisamente epico e fra i migliori del disco è poi la lenta ‘The Ship Of Changes’, che vede anche l’intervento di parti di chitarra acustica. Particolarmente ricche ed emozionanti sono le parti strumentali, così come la bellissima interpretazione del singer, Mike Vance. Il pezzo parla delle difficoltà che investono la vita e avvicina la vita dell’uomo al simbolo di una nave in preda a tempeste di ogni tipo: “Into the storm of open fire / Rising high above the tide / Higher, higher, higher / Look what it’s doin’ to me / [...]I felt the winds of change fill my sails of yearning / This ship of battle scars sails the path of learning / Thru the tides of time - thru the waves of chances / By my course revealed the unknown expenses.”
Il cristianesimo dei nostri emerge quindi con un gusto romantico ed epico ma non mancano diversi brani di impostazione più heavy rock e dall’impatto più selvaggio, come ad esempio ‘Nightlight’, cadenzatissima e molto pesante, o anche la più melodica e corale ‘Giving It To You’ che ricordano gli anthem dei cristiani Barren Cross o Bloodgood o dei secolari Judas Preist e Saxon. L’ultimo pezzo è l’assalto quasi speedy di ‘We’re Outa’ Here’, ottima song che è anche una bella preghiera che ci ricorda come dobbiamo riporre la nostra fede in Dio, così come fece Noè: “In His will there is a way / The days of Noah have returned / And from the prophets we have learned / We have heard / The end of age is drawning near / We’re outa’ here, we’re outa’here.”
Il secondo CD propone quasi tutti i pezzi dell’album eseguiti in molti modi differenti (versioni demo, prove in studio, ecc.), tanto che addirittura diversi pezzi come ‘Money Talk’, ‘More Than Conquerors’ e ‘We’re Outa’ Here’ appaiono in altre due versioni rispetto all’originale.
Molto interessanti nel secondo CD è prima di tutto l’unrealesed ‘In Your face’ che si presenta come la classica cavalcata heavy ma con linee vocali di Mike molto acute che colpiscono dirette allo stomaco.
Inoltre abbiamo una già ottima ‘More Than Conquerors’, bellissimo pezzo di heavy rock, riproposto come “prova in studio” con il supporto di Robbie e Joe Hasselvander dei Raven e Pentagram; il sound è orrendo ma si tratta di una bella chicca.
In definitiva questo lavoro compiuto dalla Retroactive Records è più che ottimo e permette di recuperare veramente tutto quel che hanno prodotto gli Armageddon, che attualmente sono pronti a ripartire con nuove registrazioni e live show.


Leonardo "Crusader" Cammi

Voto: 7,5/10




ENGLISH VERSION

This excellent product came out for Retroactive Records (like always, very active in finding out again the glorious christian bands of the past) and it contains in two CDs the only LP came out for Armageddon band, "The Money Talk" (1989), and a second disc that contains the Demotapes, different versions of the songs from the LP and an unpublished song titled 'In Your Face' by Second Chance, first incarnation of the band.
The band was born in the second half of 80's in Usa with the name of Second Chance and to this period are referred the songs contained in the second CD. Only when the two musicians leaders of the project were able to obtain the contract for the disc, the name of the band was substituted by "Armageddon" one.
The two musicians are the guitar player Robby Lee and the singer Mike Vance; the first song to come out was '(Liberation From) The Blazing Wasteland' on the compilation East Cost Metal in 1988; the song, that appears also in their exordium, is one of the most powerful songs and it talks about an epic heavy nice riding in classic style and it talks about the confusion that the devil creates in our minds, remembering how we are protected by God and with him we can find our safety : “Received a power that is stronger than temptation / The gift of God, the Redeemer and Salvation / We lift Him up to excel our exultation / The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, our liberation / Our liberation from the wasteland!”
Another song decisively epic and among the best ones of the disco is the slow 'The Ship Of Changes', with the presence of acoustic guitars.
The instrumental parts are particularly rich and exciting, like the beautiful interpretation of the singer, Mike Vance. The lyric talks about the difficulties that invest the life and it brings near the life of the man to the symbol of a ship under every kind of storms : “Into the storm of open fire / Rising high above the tide / Higher, higher, higher / Look what it’s doin’ to me / [...]I felt the winds of change fill my sails of yearning / This ship of battle scars sails the path of learning / Thru the tides of time - thru the waves of chances / By my course revealed the unknown expenses.”
The christianity of this band emerges with a romantic and epic taste but there are different songs with a heavier and rocker connotation and with a wild wild impact, like for example ‘Nightlight’, very cadenced and very heavy, or also the most melodic and choral one 'Giving It To You' and they remember the anthem of the christians Barren Cross or Bloodgood and the secular Judas Priest and Saxon. The last song is the assault almost speedy of 'We're Outa' Here', excellent song that is also a beautiful prayer and it remembers us how putting the faith in God's hands, as Noe' did : "In His will there is a way / The days of Noah have returned / And from the prophets we have learned / We have heard / The end of age is drawning near / We’re outa’ here, we’re outa’here.”
The second CD proposes almost all the songs of the album executed in different ways (demo versions, tests in studio, etc. ) and so much, that even different songs like 'Money Talk' , 'More Than Conquerors' and 'We're Outa' Here' appear in other two versions than the original one.
The unreleased song 'In Your Face' in the second cd is very interesting and it shows itself like the classic heavy riding but with vowel lines of Mike very acute which strike directly to the stomach.
Furhtermore we have just got an excellent 'More Than Conqueror', very beautiful song of heavy rock, proposed again like 'test in studio' with the support of Robbie and Joe Hasselvander by Raven and Pentagram; the sound is horrible but it's a beautiful treasure.
So at the end this work made by Retroactive Records is more than excellent and it really allows to recover all what Armageddon produced, who are actually ready to restart with new recordings and live shows.