Powergod - Bleed For The Gods (CD)

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Bleed For The Gods is the third album of Germans Powergod and it's a quite unusual release for them. Of course, putting out an album with covers isn't that innovative, but it surely deserves our respect. The track listing is really interesting and fresh. We had enough covers of Smoke On The Water, Ace Of Spades and Master Of Puppets. Powergod want to show us that they are not another band that just follows the current trends and I think that they are really close in proving that to us.
The opening track Lion's Roar / Bound To The Free by Savage Grace is one of the best speed metal songs ever made and it can be originally found in the 1986 album Master Of Disguise. It seems that Powergod found no problems in recreating the spirit of the original song.
The next, is one of the highlights of the album, a great version of Agent Steel's Bleed For The Godz. The special guests, Juan Garicia and Bernie Versailles are providing their best playing!.
The unforgettable Metal Church proves that Mr. President Evil's singing is delightful when he sings in David Wayne style, his plus dirtier tone matches the song perfectly.
Ruler Of The Wasteland is the title track of Chastain's mid 80's power metal album.
It's extremely brave to do a Manowar cover (especially if I'm the one who does the review ). Well Powergod not only are brave enough but they live up to our expectations, providing us with one of the best cover versions of Kings Of Metal's Kill With Power. President Evil try to recreate the power of Eric Adams and I must admit that he is really good.
Stars was a charity song for Live Aid in the mid 80's by the all-star band Hair 'N Aid. Powergod have some interesting special guests on their version of the song as well: Sabina Classen from Holy Moses, Rob Rock, Klaus Lemm and Rudy Kronenberger (ex - Stormwind), Manni Schmidt (Grave Digger, ex-Rage), Nikos Arvanitis, Peter Szigeti (ex - Warlock), plus one of the very rare appearances of Sir Pommes (Randalica).
Burning The Witches is a Warlock song and Powergod managed to get the Metal Queen Doro Pesch (!!!), Peter Szigeti and Nikos Arvanitis to participate on the recordings of it. (Looks like a Warlock reunion, doesn't it?).
I Am A Viking is a well done version of the Yngwie Malmsteen's classic tune and amazingly enough the guitar work reaches the maestro's standards (Well, almost hehehe).
XXX is one of the underground thrash classics that initially appeared (for those of you who remember) on the first Nasty Savage demo tape. In this track we can hear Sabina Classen of Holy Moses singing and I must point out that it's by far the heaviest song on the album.
Next comes the Steel The Light of Q5. Mr. Ferdy Doernberg (Rough Silk, Axel Rudi Pell) appears as special guest and plays the keyboards.
Tor With The Hammer is taken from one of the best melodic metal albums of the 80's Knights Of The New Thunder of Norway's TNT (The inclusion of this song clearly shows that the bands has a vast variety in their music preferences).
Anthrax's Madhouse is maybe the least surprising choice. Again thumps up for Powergod.
Along with Savage Grace, Hallows Eve are also the long forgotten speed metal heroes (Yeah, you can call me a poser hehe). In my humble opinion, Metal Merchants was their greatest song and Powergod are giving to it another well deserved moment in the spotlight.
I am sure you all know this one. Red Rum is one of the most famous songs by the shock rockers Lizzy Borden from Los Angeles.
Stryper looked like bees on legs and their superficially religious lyrics made a lot of people laugh \[Dimitra's Comment: Certainly, not me!!!]. Metalers hardly ever noticed that the band's music was brilliant but Powergod did and they provided us a great version of Soldiers Under Command.
The last song is a new version of the M.A.R.S. / Driver evergreen You and I, featuring original singer Rob Rock, his guitarist Rick Renstrom and Fredy Doernberg on keyboards.
For me there is no doubt about it, Bleed For The Gods (That's Metal - Lesson I) is should be indeed a learning material in every metal school and it definitely introduce some of the magic of the past to all nowadays metal kids. For me the 80's were THE era for heavy metal and Powergod have recorded a tribute that couldn't be more convincing. Those were the times….