Armour - Armour - review

Armour - Armour - review

Cover image of the reviewed item
Band
Armour
Album
Armour
Style
Heavy metal
Release date
January 03, 2010
Reviewer
9.0
8.2
Tracklist
01. Rock 'n' Roll Tonite
02. The Time Is Right
03. Sex Demon
04. Roll Out (Or Get Rocked)
05. Satan's Knights
06. Can't Resist Your Spell
07. Magick Armour
08. Hellfire
09. Ready To Attack
10. Heavy Metal Drinkers
A review by
Doc G.
March 10, 2010
Let's face it, heavy metal is goofy as shit, one has to be either in complete denial or completely ignorant to think otherwise. For all those in denial about the comedic appeal of even the most "serious" metal acts, Finland's Armour is a healthy reality check. It's silly, ridiculous, and surprisingly hauls a lot of ass.

Armour almost seem to be a science experiment of some kind, as if someone said "What happened if we took heavy metal classics, but stripped away all the parts that we can all do without?" This band seems really down to earth with their music, they focus more on the memorable hooks instead of bullshitting themselves into thinking people care about an over-indulgent extended guitar solo. The guitar solos are kept to a minimum and only where they flow seamlessly with the rest of the song. With their self-titled debut, Armour are ready for the big stage right off the bat, putting out an album that's pretty much 100% big-crowd anthem material. The vocals are what really push this album one step higher - basically just picture Brian Johnson and Udo Dirkschneider simultaneously knocking up Rob Halford, the offspring is Mr. Vince Venom. An additional aspect of this album that doesn't escape notice is the fact that Armour don't get caught in any boring ruts, stuck in one tempo throughout the entire album (as so many heavy metal acts do). There's everything from the semi-thrash speed of "Painkiller" with some more laid back cruisers a la AC/DC.

The only way any heavy metal fan couldn't enjoy this would be a lack of sense of humour. One has to be prepared for tracks like "Satan's Knights" and "Sex Demon" (not to be confused with Spinal Tap's "Sex Farm"). It's a tongue-in-cheek album...Or at least I hope it is. It just goes to show, you don't have to be serious to be seriously awesome.
Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 9
Written on 10.03.2010 by
Written on 10.03.2010 by
Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.

Comments

Comments: 10 Visited by 233 users

Posts: 383


Permalink
10.03.2010 - 02:21

Posts: 383


Somehow I am not surprised that you've already reviewed this. And somehow I get the feeling I just might enjoy this.
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Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Staff

Posts: 9726


Permalink
10.03.2010 - 02:22
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Staff

Posts: 9726


Written by DayFly on 10.03.2010 at 02:21

Somehow I am not surprised that you've already reviewed this. And somehow I get the feeling I just might enjoy this.

Judging from our previous conversations, I think you would probably enjoy it.
----
"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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Fat & Sassy!
Elite

Posts: 3857


Permalink
10.03.2010 - 04:06
Fat & Sassy!
Elite

Posts: 3857


I could always use some more good ol' heavy metal like this. I will definitely be checking this out.
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Dark Blood
The Avenger

Posts: 1435


Permalink
10.03.2010 - 06:48
Dark Blood
The Avenger

Posts: 1435


Very nice find Doc. These guys really bring back the good ol heavy metal shit. This made my day.
----
It is humanity who must pay homage to the greatness of the Universe... not the Universe to the human narcissism.
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Valentin B
Iconoclast

Posts: 10107


Permalink
10.03.2010 - 09:02
Valentin B
Iconoclast

Posts: 10107


Thanks for the recommendation dude! this sounds seriously awesome.

edit: lol i'm listening right now to this and the music is really great but the lyrics are a bit too non-serious for me. i mean, i'm all for partying and metal and shit but these guys turn the tongue-in-cheek knob up to eleven and i'd bet if you asked them why they'd say "because 11 is louder than 10!". the lyrics are quite frankly Alestorm if you swapped the pirate theme with metal, sex, demons and rock n roll.

and i'm sorry to hear that "Ready To Attack" clearly has borrowed the main riff from Saxon - Denim and Leather. but i guess looking at White Wizzard's last album(more precisely the song "40 Deuces", you'll recognize the song from where they borrowed the main riff pretty much instantly) i guess that's the trend nowadays.

also i disagree about the vocalist, he's something like a cross between King Diamond(low vocals) and Cam Pipes(especially the high vocals) actually you being a 3IoB fan i'm surprised you haven't noticed that yourself.
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Metal Maiden
Megadead

Posts: 352


Permalink
10.03.2010 - 18:11
Metal Maiden
Megadead

Posts: 352


After White Wizzard outranked Cauldron in my mind about being the best Maiden clone there is (In the very BEST meaning of the word, that is... ), it's a bit too early for another shift...But I'm so hooked on classic heavy metal at this very moment, that I am bound to check these guys out...Meanwhile, any band classy enough to be mentioned alongside the above-mentioned will be a welcome recommendation...
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Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Staff

Posts: 9726


Permalink
10.03.2010 - 23:48
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Staff

Posts: 9726


Written by Valentin B on 10.03.2010 at 09:02

also i disagree about the vocalist, he's something like a cross between King Diamond(low vocals) and Cam Pipes(especially the high vocals) actually you being a 3IoB fan i'm surprised you haven't noticed that yourself.

I find hes got a little more range than Cam Pipes, also a little more gravelly. I find Pipes to be more smooth and a wee bit higher pitched.
----
"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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Vombatus
Potorro

Posts: 2432


Permalink
13.05.2011 - 21:19
Vombatus
Potorro

Posts: 2432


Enjoying this one alot. Nazgul's voice reminds me of Mr. Blackie Lawless (in is old times )
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Daggon
Underpaid M.D.

Posts: 1689


Permalink
08.05.2013 - 07:07
Daggon
Underpaid M.D.

Posts: 1689


As you said, this is like something to have some fun, and they can be kinda cheesy without playing lame music, that's something great. Some catchy tunes here and there. It's a quite enjoyable album if you ask.
----
"Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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Bad English
Tage Westerlund

Posts: 64355


Permalink
15.01.2019 - 22:16
Bad English
Tage Westerlund

Posts: 64355


Just spinned few tunes from album,demo and so on, sounds like swedish bullets meets venom in bad studio recordings.
----
I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens.

Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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