Running Wild
Black Hand Inn

THE REVIEW

Running Wild
Black Hand Inn
1994, Noise Records
Heavy

On that abrasive riff, I left a part of myself, and since then, Running Wild has remained one of my favorite bands. That song, the first "pirates of metal" track my ears encountered about ten years ago, was "Soulless", and I still remember perfectly being completely blown away, hit and sunk without escape by a marvelous music that energized me like never before.

A pirate with rum in one hand and an electric guitar in the other for a heavy metal of unique compactness, classic to the core: pure 100% distillate. No room for keyboards, acoustic guitars, or orchestrations of any kind. Rolf Kasparek and his crew have been playing since the early '80s with two sharp guitars, a powerful rhythm section, and his hypnotic, dirty, and penetrating voice. Between the late '80s and the late '90s, Running Wild, although known by few compared to their skill, laid down the law in Europe by giving birth to an impressive series of historical cornerstones indispensable to anyone with the slightest knowledge. Massive boulders that have become classics answering to names like "Death Or Glory", "Under Jolly Roger", "Port Royal", "Pile Of Skulls", "The Rivalry" or even this "Black Hand Inn". Produced with piratical lyrics and capable of withstanding the test of time: examples of simple music without any compromise, played and interpreted with the right mix of passion, technique, and sonic dirt. Their songs often have a sustained tempo that, live, can move crowds in ecstasy; rising marches that culminate in anthems to be sung, shouted without any vocal cleanliness, simply turning up the stereo volume to the maximum.

For a good part of the "Black Hand Inn" journey, we really feel like we're on the deck of a galleon, chewing salt and battling an impetuous stormy sea. After the spoken intro, which explains the CD title, they launch an assault with a trio of aces that will leave you awestruck. The title track showcases Jorg Michael's (Stratovarius) talent for a crushing hit where seconds flow until reaching the anthem chorus repeated to obsession. "Mr Deadhead" is a continuous assault on our hearing, with Rolf leading with a seamless riffing in symbiosis with a dirty, low voice capable of capturing us until the metal encyclopedia-worthy break. We are already in a state of pure ecstasy considering the two hits we have just savored, but when the crescendo riffing of "Soulless" begins, we feel the blood boiling in our veins. We'll probably feel the need to re-experience a devastating metallic intro that takes us into the heart of an unyielding ride starting from the verses and continuing through the bridge and a chorus well-embedded in my mind. Chapeau. We are only at song number #4, with over 40 sumptuous minutes of music still to go, and the Running Wild of Black Hand Inn have soared and disappeared from the horizon, while the others struggle to stay in the wake of an uncatchable galleon.

One of the most static and monothematic formations of a genre that, in itself, is hardly open to innovation. The natural consequence is that this powerful and genuine gem will only and exclusively appeal to those who appreciate such music. For everyone else, it would be just a futile waste of time as Rolf 'n Rock has never sought to increase his number of fans by compromising. He only aims to gain approval from those who have this genre in their veins and feel a long thrill when they hear a good riff. Over a hundred reviews for Iron Maiden and not even the entire discography for Running Wild on Debaser. Well, what a disappointment! If you don't know them, buy it blind.

TRACKLIST

1. The Curse
2. Black Hand Inn
3. Mr. Deadhead
4. Soulless
5. The Privateer
6. Fight The Fire Of Hate
7. The Phantom Of Black Hand Hill
8. Freewind Rider
9. Powder & Iron
10. Dragonmen
11. Genesis (The Making and The Fall of Man).