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April 19, 2024


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Boulder
Reaped In Half (Tee Pee Records)

By: Jeb Branin

I'm sure I'm not the first reviewer, or fan for that matter, to raise the question, "What the hell happened to BOULDER?" Gone is the headslamming and gritty rawk that made them the heir apparents to MOTORHEAD (albeit a slower version). In its place is NWOBHM worship. Now that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if they had been selective in what they borrowed from Metal's greatest renaissance, but they've gone with the sound lock, stock and barrel, including the painfully off-key and quasi-wimpy vocals. On the plus side, I like their faster delivery and I love the twin guitar attack (flying Vs, no less). But the vocals make me cringe-too many TYGERS OF PAN TANG album spins, I suspect. The lyrics are also pretty lame, although I suspect there's a deeper meaning to some of them than is apparent. Additionally, they've nailed the NWOBHM sound no well that they've even managed to sound like an inexperienced band fresh from the bar scene-which is both good and bad. If I can bring myself to give this repeated listens, I have no doubt it'll grow on me-after all I cut my metal teeth on the NWOBHM-I may just need to get over the fact the old BOULDER is gone, a definite loss.
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