Billionaires Boys Club
Something Wicked Comes

STOP EVERYTHING!

Do you remember the genre that was defined as class metal? (which was then encapsulated in a few words with melodic hard rock?) Yes exactly, I’m talking about that genre, which seemed so unlucky but nonetheless gave us moments of glory, primarily with Dokken’s "Under Lock And Key" (the true forerunners, to be honest), as well as TNT's "Tell No Tales". And in the 90s? Little to nothing, the only names that come to mind are Heavens Edge (uuuuhh what lovely memories!) and Jeff Scott Soto's Eyes, but beyond that?

I discovered the album by chance and I assure you I'm not crazy when I tell you that this "Something Wicked Comes" from 1993 is the very latest and majestic class metal album! Practically ignored by everyone and known more or less only to the band itself, it contains not a single filler song!

You might wonder, who the heck was in this band? No, Albano wasn't singing, and the group’s name isn’t dedicated to Briatore (Billionaires Boys Club), but Mark Boals! Yes, yes, the very same one with his "past" with Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire, and now with the current Royal Hunt, which is to say, neo-classical heavy in a few words.

I have to admit I have a certain weakness for Mark (hey, don't get any wrong ideas! I mean he’s an excellent singer!), but on this album, he truly surpassed himself, and I think he wanted to surpass even his own voice, with high notes that could shatter entire sets of crystal! To aid him in a superb manner, there’s also the ex-Accept Jorg Fischer, who would carve out some stunning riffs, Anders Johansson (Malmsteen) on drums, and finally Magnus Rosen on bass, who we later find in Hammerfall. Let's say the latter picked up the legacy of tracks largely recorded by another great musician, who unfortunately passed away about a year and a half ago, that is Marcel Jacob, a historic bassist for both Yngwie and primarily for Talisman.

This review, albeit quite delayed, wants to be a little tribute to Marcel, a bassist like few others endowed with great verve but, above all, very dedicated to his work, who left us at the age of 45.

That said, here are the songs, as mentioned, all stunning from the initial "Won't See You Again" with an intro that hadn't been heard for a long time and a finale where Boals truly gives his best, to the driving yet melodically refrained heavy finish of "Inside Out", passing through the poignant ballad "Eternal Flame" endowed with unique passion, or the timeless sweetness of "Can't Last Forever". There are nonetheless true Dokkenian anthems as well, as in the successful "Voyeur Romance", very rhythmic with great effect choruses, or the title track, with a double bass drum that could shake even your grandma with her dentures, not to mention the amusing "Send Your Fat Friend Home", whose lyrics I warmly recommend, and the talismania of "Don't Lie". The album closes perfectly with "No Time To Sleep" and "Down Down Down", leaning more towards hard/street territory.

This, in short, is the albeit brief description of a heavyweight album that will never be matched. Highly recommended to those who enjoy it; just rubbish for the others.