Budgie
Power Supply

THE REVIEW

This work completely diverges from the previous albums, there is no stylistic comparison. If the albums prior to this captured a band capable of producing Hard Rock, Hard and Heavy, and glimpses of Metal, here we are faced with a work that winks at Heavy Metal. Shelley's voice is hard, tense, histrionic like never before, the fast and sharp riffs, piercing distortions are supported by equally pounding rhythms. It's worth mentioning that the Welsh do not disdain their origins, meaning their standard composing style, and they offer us tracks that rightfully belong to their repertoire.

What emerges is a work that fits perfectly within the historical context of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, important for the genre and for the influences it has managed to direct towards the entire Metal movement. The change also happens at the lineup level; the historic guitarist and vocalist Tony Bourge leaves to make way for John Thomas. An evident sign of the new direction is the first track, "Foreman Smash". Introduced by brisk riffs, the rhythm is immediately dragged by lightning drum beats, the voice is not rough but urgent, compelling, penetrating; the words follow one another uninterruptedly until they deliriously reach the chorus. However, the compositional apotheosis is reached in the virtuosic sections that follow the refrain respectively in the central and final parts, where through fiery, acid, despotic, and piercing scales, one can fully appreciate the remarkable abilities of the newcomer Thomas. Irreverent and rebellious, this track fully portrays the collective idea of what Heavy Rock is. With the advent of "Hellbender", the atmosphere becomes darker, heavier, the bass is constantly present, Shelley's voice becomes deep and hoarse, almost intimidating, which alongside the participation of the drums, and fluctuating riffs, infuses hypnotic pathos. Solos are still present; the style is different from the entry track, as here you can fully perceive a compositional and instrumental approach devoted to gravity, to a Heavy Metal sound, in short.

Thus, we arrive at the third track, perhaps the masterpiece, or the most successful piece of the album, so to speak, "Heavy Revolution". The rhythms are still very tight, the drums are pounding, the bass intoxicating in the background, the singing part nasty, drawn out, especially marked in the chorus by a Shelley who is nothing short of bewildering, capable of bringing out cerberic, devastating high notes. Again, nothing to object to: clean execution, fiery melodies, extraordinary voice. It is once more a composition pleasing to Heavy Metal, yet more energetic and direct compared to the previous track. After three pieces full of power, it is reasonable to expect that the pace inevitably decreases or calms down, but, in part, this is not the case. "Guslinger" opens with the gentle notes of the acoustic guitar that duet with the calm and gentle voice, but suddenly the percussion lights up, the decibels rise slightly, Shelley seems more incisive but never reaches high vocal levels; thus, the work finds its zenith in the central part introduced by a gradual increase in the sounds emitted by the instruments, culminating in a long, defiant, and bold guitar solo signed by Thomas. An enjoyable and transitional track.

As I had just mentioned, with the advent of the title track the sound changes. "Power Supply" is a hard-hitting ride of genuine, electrifying, raw, and direct Hard Rock, exuded in Thomas's jams by the stable and effective presence of Williams' drums and the high notes of the British singer. Similar to Power Supply is its successor, "Secret In My Head", the riffs are faster but the substance remains the same, hysterical, wild, enticing adrenaline surges springing from the Guitar/Drum duo. Seventh track: "Time To Remember" as is easily predictable from the title is a ballad, or to say a pseudo-ballad, nurtured for almost its entire duration by a reflective and fascinating combo between Shelley's calm and steady voice and Thomas's sweet and romantic distortions that diffuse magic; in some instances the melody and instrument impact do not make it truly a ballad but these are minority episodes that in their way complete an extraordinary piece. The work closes with the Hard Rock of "Crime Against The World".

In conclusion, for those who love the early Budgie, this album might not be appealing, but, contrary to those who accused them of lacking aggression, this work will partially refute that.