Holy Grail – Improper Burial
Highlights: Immortal Man, Fight To Kill, Exciter, Fast As A Shark
2010 seems to be the year when the classic metal sound started to rise from the ashes in a huge way. At first I thought that White Wizzard were the reigning kings of this old school metal resurgence. That was until I heard Holy Grail and that was it. The crown was snatched and placed upon the heads of this LA based quintet and rightfully so.
Holy Grail’s “Improper Burial” EP is metal that is guaranteed to melt your face off before the 4th and final song is even done. The EP opens with two original tracks “Immortal Man” and “Fight To Kill” that in my opinion rule and kick as much ass as the covers that round out the EP. “Fight To Kill” is a riff heavy juggernaut that opens with singer James Paul Luna belting out vocals that would make Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford throw the horns up themselves. Luna isn’t one of these singers that just goes through the motions. He possesses all of the qualities of a vocalist twice his age. “Immortal Man” is reminiscent of classic Iron Maiden with its pogo like rhythm and vocals that once again seem to leave the stratosphere. At times, Luna hits such ridiculously high screams that you just laugh in disbelief. Trust me, this is a good thing.
The covers of Judas Priest’s “Exciter” and Accept’s “Fast As A Shark” has Holy Grail showing that their own material stands up tall and strong along side these metal masterpieces. It’s also a great way for them to pay their respects to the greats that inspired them as a band. They play these songs with so much gusto and balls that they take ownership of these songs and make them their own. The twin guitar work of Eli Santana and James LaRue is nothing short of facemelting and shredding. Much like Luna, these guys play with all the energy and personality of the legendary NWOBHM guitar teams that have inspired them so. The rhythm section of Tyler Meahl (drums) and Blake Mount (bass) round out the sound and work their asses off as the very engine that fuels this machine.
There is nothing pretentious or put on about Holy Grail. These guys are the real fucking deal. They are making classic heavy metal for a younger generation that has expressed their desire to relive the glory days of metal. The days when the guitars were in standard tuning, guitarists took solos and lead singers had voices and a physical presence that made you feel like you were being led into battle. Holy Grail are the reigning kings of the classic metal resurgence in my opinion and I guarantee that after one listen to these guys, you will offer up your endorsement as well.
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