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Rating: Indissoluble. Tireless riff grinder, vocal lines, refrains, and albums with his Running Wild, or rather his offspring. Bands of fans all over Europe have followed and acclaimed the various musical creations of Rolf Kasparek, undisputed leader and founder of the aforementioned Running Wild.
A career born, lived, and then died in semi-notoriety, but above all, in the artistic awareness of not wanting to disappoint the aficionados. From the initial "Gates to Purgatory" of 1984, Kasparek has always continued to propose his musical creed, made of classic heavy metal, pirate anthems, and beer. Elements that are found in all of Running Wild's works, which though always anchored to the same way of playing, have managed to compensate for this lack of originality with a frankly remarkable attitude. In particular, that of Rolf Kasparek, who while changing members countless times, has always managed to produce records at least worthy of being listened to. So after "Masquerade" (1995) and "The Rivalry" (1998), by many considered as the beginning of the end, despite various difficulties, the dear old pirate Rolf returned to the studio to give birth to "Victory", the eleventh birth of this man of sea and metal.
Fans have learned to understand and accept them over the years, so much so that with every new release of the band, they were ready and aware of listening to albums without the slightest stylistic variation, identical or nearly identical to all previous ones (all now concluded, given that Kasparek decided to end the group's activity). It is for this reason that despite the band undoubtedly having lost some momentum, it has always maintained over the decades a solid core of supporters who followed them throughout Europe. Even for Victory, a CD very similar to other works bearing the Running Wild mark, the reception from fans was still positive.
Let it be clear: "Victory" adds nothing to the long career of the Teutons. Yet if one loved the metal outbursts of "Death or Glory", the dark and raw atmosphere of "Pile of Skulls", the power of "Black Hand Inn", one cannot help but love this work too. In several tracks, and particularly in "When Time Runs Out", "Tsar", "The Hussar", "Return of the Gods", and "Silent Killer", one breathes that warrior and deeply anthemic air that made them explode with "Under Jolly Roger" and "Port Royal". All compositions governed by the axe and voice of Rolf Kasparek, built on a riff/chorus/solo alternation as well crafted as it is monotonous.
Nothing more than an album of this type could be expected from Running Wild at the start of the millennium. Nothing more than a mountain of riffs, of pirate melodies and choruses to sing in front of a huge pint of beer. This is what the joyful German band has always guaranteed to their fans. This is what is also guaranteed by Victory.
1. "Fall Of Dorkas" (5:16)
2. "When Time Runs Out" (5:17)
3. "Timeriders" (4:24)
4. "Into The Fire" (4:57)
5. "Revolution" (2:59)
6. "The Final Waltz" (1:19)
7. "Tsar" (7:08)
8. "The Hussar" (4:05)
9. "The Guardian" (5:09)
10. "Return Of The Gods" (5:31)
11. "Silent Killer" (4:45)
12. "Victory" (4:49)
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
08 The Hussar (04:04)
[Music: Rolf Kasparek]
[Lyrics: Rolf Kasparek]
Mordant wall of smoke, barrels glow, shot their load
Gunfire takes your breath, balls of lead causing death
Thunderstorm breaks loose, the slaughter's son, life's on the loose
Sounding the attack, soldiers fall, back to back
The roaring horde is near, pounding hooves, mortal fear
The soldiers bravely stand, they try hard to defend
Till the end!
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Thunder shakes the ground, a deadly force, pound by pound
Frightened, nerves are blank, horseman ride, hit the flank
Cold sweat down their neck, death will ride one last attack
Fearsome battle cry, flashing guns, soldiers die
Tell me why!
[Chorus]
[Leadbreak Rolf]
Horror, death and pain, the devil smiles, so what's the gain?
Stretching out his claw to feed his laughing greedy jaw
Greedy jaw!
[Chorus]
12 Victory (04:48)
[Music: Rolf Kasparek]
[Lyrics: Rolf Kasparek]
The gods of past and future, returning from the sky
Defenders of the holy, they are soaring on high
All slaves of evils' kingdom, dropping down like flies
The final raging battle that's when the evil dies
The poison of illusion, the world falls asleep
The evil reigns its kingdom by cunning and deceit
The force of seduction, chaos in the game
Man is trapped in blindness, praising Dorkas' name
Darkness falls and light will rise
The force of judgement finally strikes
Victory
Selfdestructive mankind's like wax in his hands
War and plain destruction are fit to set an end
A vulnerable system to serve the evil's way
Raising all its madness until the final day
[Pre]
[Chorus]
Terror reigns in the prophecy
"Babylon" will fall, so plain to foresee
A nightmare rules the mirage of gold
Slipping to damnation by trying to hold
[Leadbreak Rolf]
The rivalry is dying, the longawaited end
Destruction of all evil, no power could defend
Dorkas' crown is falling, he's melting down in pain
His kingdom falls to pieces, dying in the flame
[Pre]
[Chorus]
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