Ouijabeard - Die And Let Live

Taking inspiration from 76-79 Kiss and a touch of Sweden’s Heavy Load (especially from the vocal harmonies), Dr Living Dead vocalist Dr Ape lays down a traditional hard rock album that is a huge step away from his day job in a thrash/crossover band. The formula works out rather well, although the first third of the tunes do sound rather familiar to big Kiss hits chord progressions. Of course, who cares, it’s not an actual rip off and the album is actually really well done. With a concept loosely based on Grigorij Rasputin (often referred to as the mad monk) and the often chastised ‘Music from the Elder’ album by Kiss (lord knows why it is slated!), even Blaze Bailey appears as a guest artist.

Essentially written and performed by Dr Ape (except the guitar solos) it cool to see one man’s vision and influence actually working. Although the tracks are rather similar in their nature, I certainly don’t get bored by the delivery and with songs like ‘Sons of Moreia’, who could blame me. There is an art to creating vocal melody and harmony that matches the music beneath them, only a few bands can do it, that’s why I name checked Heavy Load earlier in this review (listen to the title track), but Dr Ape delivers a similar gift. ‘Eyes in the Night’ and ‘The End’ will have you thinking conceptualistic releases from the past, and the vintage sound recorded really takes this recording back to days well before the internet, hell, even before CD’s were first produced.

One of the greatest tunes to check out is ‘Moon Empire’ that, this really does have a classic Swedish metal feel, it is a little dreamy, it sounds simple, but each guitar note follows and epic vocal stance, and sometimes you get Iron Maiden influences, especially after the solo. Epic songs come along like the closer and title track ‘Die and Let Live’ (complete with Bailey’s narration). It has a slow burning intro, some space-like keyboard and guitar synths, but then follows a really cool vintage formula. The album has a classic hard rock feel, it is a very easy comfortable listen, melodies strike a retention chord and songs actually sound a little bit timeless. Whilst I won’t roll over and say this is the best album I have heard for years, it is an album that shows that the music scene does not have to be pure aggression; it can have soul and in Ouijabeard’s case, can really tell a story via a clever use of feel and emotion.