• Repetition on Repetition - A review of Running Wild's Blood on Blood

    Running Wild - Blood on Blood (2021)

    More than five years after the disastrous, overlong and uninspired Rapid Foray, German heavy metal project Running Wild comes back with its eighteenth studio album Blood on Blood. Band leader and founder, bassist, guitarist and vocalist Rock 'n' Rolf collaborates once again with guitarist Peter Jordan who has been with the band since its return from hiatus ten years ago. The other two musicians who can be heard on this output have only been with the band for two years and consist of Thunderhead's Ole Hempelmann on bass and FB1964's Michael Wolpers on drums.

    This record offers traditional heavy metal tropes by the numbers and is best enjoyed as a superficial party album played in the background. The mid-paced melodic guitar riffs, simple rhythm section and catchy sing-along choruses always sound the same. If you listen to them separately, tracks like ''Wings on Fire'', ''Wild & Free'' and ''Wild, Wild Nights'' sound like decent tunes that should be appreciated by fans of traditional heavy metal bands such as Accept, Axel Rudi Pell and Rage to mention a few other German bands. If listened in one session on the same album, it however becomes obvious how formulaic, lifeless and repetitive this record sounds. Even the closing epic ''The Iron Times (1618-1648)'' is plodding around unspectacularly with its excessive length and tiring mid-tempo pace despite a different atmospheric and lyrical approach that simply isn't properly explored.

    Another serious issue is the production that sounds absolutely lifeless. The guitar work is bland and almost sounds mechanic. The rhythm section is missing oomph. Especially the drum play sounds like a computer even though Michael Wolpers is a talented musician. The final result sounds as if the band and its label had opted for the cheapest production available which is a shame since this record is desperately lacking energy.

    At the end of the day, there are so many heavy metal bands out there that deserve more attention than Running Wild that should have called it quits two decades ago. Blood on Blood features uninspired songwriting, dreadful production and lack of passion. Only the most faithful collectors and fans of old date who can't help living in the past might find this record even remotely exciting.

    Final rating: 40%

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