Artist: Savage Master
Country: USA
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2025
Although I always found Savage Master a very enjoyable band it is hard to deny that, especially early on in their career, the offered quality wasn’t always up there with the best – to say the least. In particular on the vocal department things could be toe-curling, but, honestly, that was a big part of the charm. The band basically revolves around vocalist Stacey Savage, not only because of her highly recognizable vocals but also of her strong Heavy Metal-to-the-bone imagery. Obviously that resulted in many a comment and discussion that Savage Master is largely a band that’s based on “tits and ass”. Although one cannot entirely blame them, given that the photo shoots, album covers, and live performances were all very.. well, lavish, it is undeniable that the band has developed significantly over the years.
Despite the fact that Savage Master has worked with a good number of respected labels over the years, among them are Ván Records, High Roller Records and their current home of Shadow Kingdom Records, I feel that with their latest offering the band has reached a certain level of musical maturity. As said, I have enjoyed all of the band’s previously released material to a certain degree, although it wasn’t always exclusively for the musical content, the ramshackle song structures and Stacey’s vocal performances had a certain appeal. Yet, ‘Dark & Dangerous’ is definitely the band’s best effort so far.
While a song like ‘Devil Rock’ is still a remnant of the past, the majority of this fifth record is definitely more than just “enjoyable”. The mix of traditional Heavy Metal with bits and pieces of Punk Rock and Sleazy Rock-‘n’-Roll, possibly echoes of guitarist Neal Adam Neal’s career in bands such as Nashville Pussy, feels to have found an ideal balance. The album is brimming with diversity, from flashy but never over the top guitars, catchy choruses, plentiful Speed Metal riffs, overall powerful song writing to the mandatory cheesy semi-ballad ‘I Don’t Want To Fall In Love’ and the closing ‘Cold Hearted Death’. That doesn’t only greatly increases the listenability of the album, it also strongly reinforces the recognizability of the Savage Master formula.
And, not in the least, Stacey’s vocal performance has greatly progressed. Honestly, that is a development that has been in the works for a couple of years. Whether or not the result of singing lessons, as I read about on the interwebs, the effort and experience clearly pays off. She seems to know the boundaries of her vocal capacity and respects that, in the process giving the music a much more honest feeling. Stacey might never reach the hall of fame of female Heavy Metal singers, but she does a commendable job.
Finally, regardless of whatever progression is made both in the band’s overall song writing or vocal antics and whatever you might think of their imagery: what never changed in Savage Master’s 10+ years career is the evident fun these guys and girl are having making their music. And while doing that, with ‘Dark & Dangerous’ they delivered their very best record so far.
