Traditional heavy metal without any compromises - A review of Hellryder's The Devil Is a Gambler

Hellryder is a side project by Grave Digger singer Chris Boltendahl and Grave Digger guitarist Axel Ritt. The quartet is completed by bassist Steven Wussow of Orden Ogan and Xandria fame as well as drummer Timmi Breideband who has played for Bonfire and Freedom Call in the past. Despite the different line-up, The Devil Is a Gambler sounds exactly like the old-fashioned traditional heavy metal albums released by Grave Digger every now and then such as Return of the Reaper, Ballads of a Hangman, The Reaper or any release from the band's early years. Personally, I have always preferred the band's more atmospheric, conceptual and explorative releases which explains why Hellryder's The Devil in a Gambler only gets a lukewarm reception from me.

To be fair, the musicianship is rather decent here. Axel Ritt's dynamic guitar play convinces in the fiercer riffs, ploddings sections and solo passages alike. The rhythm section suits the songwriting and shows that experienced musicians have been involved but it's overall lacking energy and surprises. Chris Boltendahl's raw und unique vocals are still an acquired taste but certainly quite charming to my ears. The production is decent and in the key of bands such as Accept, Axel Rudi Pell and Rage to mention some other German bands. A few good songs can be found towards the end of the release with the atmospheric and rhythmic ''Passion Maker'', the aggressive and concise closer ''Harder Faster Louder'' and even the groovy bonus track ''I Don't Wanna Die'' that sounds much better than some regular tunes on the album.

The main issue is that the songwriting on The Devil Is a Gambler is extremely repetitive to a point that the different songs can't be distinguished from one another. The songs are all roughly three minutes long, focus on energetic verses, catchy choruses and short bridges and are essentially mid-paced tunes with strong guitar play, expressive vocals and timid rhythm section. The band doesn't try out any experiments whatsoever in form of a more atmospheric track, a heartfelt ballad or an epic anthem. It's very easy to find out whether you should purchase this album or not. Listen to one single song. If you like it, you will get eleven others just like it. If it doesn't impress you, tell yourself that the other eleven tunes won't change your mind either.

At the end of the day, one has to wonder why this band exists since several Grave Digger records of the past sound exactly like it. Here's hope that Grave Digger will keep focusing on more adventurous, atmospheric and epic material while Hellryder is reserved for attempts to go back to the roots and live in the past. In my opinion, Hellryder's The Devil Is a Gambler is completely uninteresting but to be fair, fans of traditional heavy metal of old age might enjoy it for what it is.

Final rating: 50%