Let me 'aska' you this; "have you heard any good metal lately?" Well now you can say, 'yes' after listening to Aska's fourth release "Fire Eater". Let me tell ya', the U.S.A. is now U.S.ASKA! - One nation under metal. Joined at the hip, this band is in each other’s pocket. Every song is played with precision. Thunderous drumming, punchy bass, guitar solos galore and vocals that would make the singer from Death Angel proud.
"Everyone Dies" opens up this diary of madness with a soft intro that leads into a fierce pounding of a 2x4 to the face! The rhythm section is tight here as in the next song "Dead Again" and did I mention guitar solos? "Valhalla" breaks up the story line a bit with some Viking fiction. You might want to wear a helmet for this one and break something! Next up is a most powerful vocal performance in the song "Son of a god" I hope you have a hockey mask, because they all take turns punching you in the face!
To sooth the savage beast, Aska gives you a little something to emote over. "Angela" is a ballad that will tug at your heart strings, then "Harlot of Eden" will rip it right out! When the next song "Red Cell" starts, I'm reminded of 1984 era Queensryche! What I really liked was in the third part of the first verse is the rhythm guitar has a TOTO feel against harsh metal overtones.
I'm sure you have heard of the famous murderer Jack the Ripper. If you haven't, this is a good introduction. They seem to have channeled the character in this spooky little ditty....And, yes - the guitar solo "rips"! "The Last Message" is 2nd to last on the record. In this sci-fi narration we're shown what it might feel if we were all wiped out by aliens (and I don't mean Pedro and his amigos). Look up the word "metal" and you'll see the link to an MP3 download to the song "Eye of the Serpent" - 'nuff said!
At the end of the day Aska's Fire Eater has captured the essence of classic old school heavy metal from the 1980's. A wild roller coaster ride on a collision course with a run-away big rig barreling down a highway littered with black ice! If that don't make you check 'em out, I don't know what will. Maybe if I told you that the solos sound like Joe Satriani and John Petrucci had a baby...
Anyway, I give this one a 9. Out of the gate to the finish line, Aska's onslaught never ends. Get some stuff on askaband.net and LIKE 'em on facebook... DO IT NOW!!
Tim Duran, HMS
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