Running Wild
Death or Glory

THE REVIEW

It is certain that a group like Running Wild has never been a niche band. Equally certain is the consistency with which the German group has accustomed us, from the late '80s to the mid-'90s, to albums that are difficult to describe as anything but "masterpieces."

If the beginning of this band's career was characterized by well-played speed metal with strong influences from bands like Accept, Exciter, and partly the early Grave Digger, with a look and songwriting partly inspired by Venom, in the ensuing years the band led by (and I would say there is no better adjective) Rolf Kasparek, aka Rock N' Rolf, chose the pirate world and everything related to it as their trademark. In fact, if "Under Jolly Roger" was the debut of this new musical rebirth and "Port Royal," released a year later, further confirmed it, in 1989 with "Death Or Glory," Running Wild definitively consolidated their transformation.

It's impossible not to be amazed by a genius song like "Riding The Storm," as fast as it is melodic, with guitars that don’t stop for even a minute. Also noteworthy is the beautiful, especially live, "Bad To The Bone," which lyrically aims to represent the brutality of Nazism and a condemnation of everything it represents. Less immediate, but still excellent, are "Evilution" and "Running Blood," the latter featuring an excellent bass work. And if "Marooned" is a perfect speed metal ride that gives you chills, the lengthy "Battle Of Waterloo" showcases the German combo's skill in composing songs with a rather long runtime for the era, especially for the genre, and turning it into a damned masterpiece. Other examples of this can be found in "Treasure Island," which will be the closing track of the subsequent "Pile Of Skulls," or in "Bloody Island" from the more recent, so to speak, "Resilient."

"Death Or Glory" represents the long compositional and musical peak that the band maintained for almost 10 years, proving to be one of the best musical realities among fans of speed and classic heavy metal. The only major flaw of this group was having the right popularity only at home, remaining semi-unknown in other parts of Europe and, especially, in America. I can only conclude by saying that if you love bands like Iron Maiden, think again. Listening to "Death Or Glory" will transport you to another dimension, and... why not? Let's have a glass of rum on it...