ReUnation

A Tribute To Running Wild

Written by: PP on 20/12/2009 22:08:56

Alestorm, Grave Digger, etc. The pirate theme is awesome in every genre including heavy metal, but have you ever stopped to think who were the first to integrate a pirate theme and imagery to their lyrics and sound? No, me neither, but the answer is Running Wild, back in 1987, a popular German heavy/speed/power metal band who were around for 33 years before splitting up after 13 full length albums under their belt. They've influenced a large array of bands over the years, so Remedy Records had an idea and asked a whole bunch of these bands to record their interpretations of Running Wild classics. The result is "ReUnation: A Tribute To Running Wild", 31 tracks, 2 discs, and 155 minutes worth of metal bands covering Running Wild songs.

Now if you're a huge Running Wild fan who's kept up with the times and newer metal bands, this is guaranteed to be a real treat because you get to hear so many different sounds and versions of the original songs. The package basically offers everything from melodeath to black metal to strictly power metal renditions of the originals, some better than others, so in a way it's like a treasure chest hidden on a desert island for any burgeoning Running Wild pirate. Some of the more noteworthy bands include Withering Soul, Powerwolf, Fate, Magica, Deadlock, Motorjesus, Heavenly, Ravage, Orden Ogan, Warhead, but in the mix you'll also find names like Jose Juan Gallego, Halor, Evertale and Skiltron, names that, at least for this scribe, don't ring even the faintest bell.

The longer you listen to "ReUnation", the more you start realizing that Running Wild were a great band while they were around. For someone like me, who'll readily admit to have very little knowledge to Running Wild prior to this release minus a couple of tracks sampled from YouTube, the high degree of quality found in the riffs regardless of the style modification applied to them tells the story of a band who possessed an exceptional song writing talent. It's impressive to hear Withering Soul's lightning speed melodeath rendition of "Firebreather" stand on even foot with the purely power metal "Riding The Storm" by Powerwolf. And because the new recording techniques didn't exist back when Running Wild wrote most of their songs, the modern production in the interpreted versions highlights the riffs much more than before.

The real question is, however, how to rate this release? Should it be a perfect 10, because any Running Wild fan will likely find it fucking awesome? Should it be a 5 because essentially nothing new is being offered, and to an extent Running Wild were a band that belonged more to the 80s and early 90s than our current era? But since all the songs on the record seem to be really good, and it is quite interesting to notice how the core sound stays the same throughout the disc despite the different styles used by the bands involved, I'm going to go with a reasonably high grade instead.

7

Download: Withering Soul - Firebreather, Powerwolf - Riding The Storm
For the fans of: Running Wild, Alestorm, Grave Digger, Heavenly
Listen: Myspace

Release date 13.11.2009
Remedy Records

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