Track VI is an Acero Letal cover. Limited to 500 copies.
Old school Hard Rock / Heavy Metal from Chile in the vein of classic albums of Kiss!!
Recorded, mixed and mastered by F. Steele at Svartvaren Homestudio June - July 2015.
Distributed exclusively in Chile by Tienda Riff, Pasaje Causiño, local 137, Viña del Mar.
As "TheLegacyReviews" claimed in his review of Iron Spell's Heavy Metal Witchcraft EP, something big is cooking in Chile. Along with Iron Spell, Acero Letal, Eternal Thirst, Mortal Whisper and many other exciting acts hailing from this South American heavy metal loving nation is Vina del Mar's Raijin, which recently released a compelling EP titled Wildpath.
This nineteen minute exercise in the art of colourfully phrased guitar solos is certainly fit for metalheads with a penchant for lead guitar. (From the moment I first heard Dave Murray's scorcher of a solo on Iron Maiden's "Be Quick Or Be Dead" - this was around 1992 - I became obsessed with solos and quickly came to appreciate the guitar as a musical canvas rife with possibilities). Thus, I'm having a field day with Raijin's Wildpath as its sole founder/vocalist/guitar hero, F. Steele, has definitely hit the bulls eye in the leads department. Backed by the solid contributions of drummer Jonathan Garcia (still with "Fastard") and bassist S. Reaper (of souls?), Wildpath's explosive intro and four propulsive tracks have left me yearning for the trio's eventual full-length release.
The opening instrumental gets right down to business with its mixture of stoner rock chutzpah and NWOBHM stylized melodic drive. A minute or so later, "Shaking The Grave" introduces Steele's concise vocals and light hearted lyrical themes, which are highly in contrast with the depth of his lead playing, obviously the EP's highlight as well as the main focus of this short review. Strangely enough his rhythm playing, especially on the third track, "Tigerheart", would fit right in on a a hard rock radio station, as it's loose and carefree, in an non-committal "feel good" way (it also makes great driving music). However, his sizzling leads are another story, as they cross the line into traditional heavy metal territory while also presenting Raijin as a palatable commodity not only limited to the world of headbangers and mosh pits. Production wise, this EP sounds just like Acero Letal's two track demo, Veloz Invencible, as the vocals, guitars, bass and drums are distributed evenly while benefitting from ripe tones which only increase the radio-friendly factor. This isn't a bad thing, as Raijin's a budding guitar band overall which is sure to amass its fair share of followers over time.
The only part I'd eliminate from this EP is the silly soliloquy which delays the start of "Night & Roll", an otherwise revved up track consisting of appealing hooks and, you guessed it, more expressive soloing. As well, you'll likely forgive "Heavy Metal"s laconic title once this requisite anthem gets underway. So if you're into expanding your musical horizons with some hard & heavy Chilean fare as well as a bona fide lead guitar enthusiast, embark on the "Wildpath"; it's ragin'!
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