MP – Bursting Out (The Beast Became Human) (Reissue)

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These days – especially in the time of COVID-19 when older generations have lots of time to reflect on their past – it seems to be a pure obsession for 80s metal maniacs to find any bit of scraps that emulate the metal they enjoyed in their youth but is “new to them”. Sub-label of Dying Victims, Relics of the Past very aptly fit that bill. They have decided to re-release the first two albums of the band MP, which stands for “Metal Priests”. The band did end up releasing 4 albums in total from 1986 to 1992, the last being “Melting Pot” which was also the new band name at the time. They have also released two live albums, a compilation and CD box set from 2015 by GS Productions containing all of their studio albums. Thanks to Relics of the Past, the band’s first two albums are finally available on vinyl again for the first time and the first of the two – “Bursting Out” is here to be reviewed for its release on March 26, 2021.

But, ultimately, with any re-release, the question of worth needs to be asked. From band photos released with the vinyl albums, it’s clear the band are very tongue-in-cheek and don’t take themselves too seriously which needs to be factored in to the overall value. After all, metal cheese is stomached better with a little bit of self-referential humor thrown in. Glancing at the lyrics of their anthem “MP (Metal Priests”, with a line like, “See the blade is burning, it kills the rats. We are the Metal Priests and we cleave your heads” it conjures up the dichotomy of bands like GWAR and MANOWAR, the former understanding its irony while the latter revels in it. Clearly, this isn’t thinking man’s metal. It definitely is more in line with a six-pack of miller lite, a beat-up pickup truck and a weekend of off-roading with the guys.

Thankfully, the music MP’s “Bursting Out” is pretty decent as well, even if the production of album is the worst I have heard, desperately in need of a remaster, not just a re-release. The guitar work is pretty decent  and all songs have a pretty good flow, verse move into choruses, choruses are mainly anthemic in nature and solos are plentiful and wankery. A high-point is the rip-roaring “Paromania” having all the grit and epicness of KISS in that era. But you also have the laziness of the chorus of “Fight for your Life” and its lethargic and frankly ridiculous sounding “fight, fight, fight” background chants drunkenly delivered as if the neighborhood watch group got together for one too many at the bar one night after finding nothing to defend. It’s not a bad song, just badly delivered and deserving of another take. While the solos are solid and the riffs are delivered fine, there isn’t any outstanding riffs or tracks that I felt the need to listen to over and over again. Judging them on this, if you like cliché, bargain bin, knockoff NWOBHM delivered in a cheeky way, you might enjoy this. Personally, this relic was better left in the past but it was a nice reminder of how far the genre has come.

Songwriting: 6
Musicianship: 7
Memorability: 5
Production: 5