Album Review: Running Wild - Resilient

With "Resilient" the 15th studio album of the metal institution "Running Wild» in the starting blocks. When "Shadowmaker" was announced last year, skepticism and euphoria were very close together. Unfortunately the last albums of the hanseatic metallers weren't completely convincing anymore. Even "Shadowmaker" could not really meet the expectations. The songwriting was too unbalanced and many fans saw the band disappear again. Now, with «Resilient», comes a new album that leaves a thoroughly positive impression. But what can "Resilient" really do? Quite simply, a lot! «Running Wild» are finally playing Running Wild songs again!

The cover of the new Running Wild album "Resilient" already emphatically documents: This band is indeed indestructible! Since February 2013, Rock'n'Rolf has been working flat out on the new disc. "I felt that freshness straight away when I started writing songs for Resilient, because songs like 'Fireheart' or 'Soldiers Of Fortune' just gushed out of me," he explains. "In particular, the dynamic gait of 'Soldiers Of Fortune' unleashed a veritable avalanche of creativity in me."

The opener "Soldiers Of Fortune" convinces after just a few bars with typical riffing and is a relatively brisk and straight, typical Running Wild number. Rolf put more cool riffs into this song than he did on the entire last album. The accentuated riffing, the bridge that boosts the tempo and the surprisingly catchy chorus stand for an all in all more than successful start. A new Running Wild anthem is born! The also very traditional numbers «Adventure Highway», «Fireheart» and the strong «The Drift» follow the same line. The uptempo numbers would also have cut a good figure on "Blazon Stone" or "The Rivalry" and make the fan heart beat faster. One has the feeling that Rolf has regained his appetite for his past. The album sounds fresh, is boldly produced and exudes the old Running Wild feeling again. The faster pieces can score with aggressive riffing («Fireheart») and demand to be played live.

The most unusual song, however, is called "Bloody Island" and, at almost ten minutes, is one of the longest pieces of Running Wild's entire career. Rolf: "As a composer, it's of course difficult for me to classify the new songs in the history of Running Wild stylistically, but friends who have heard a demo version of 'Bloody Island' claim that this track would have also fitted on 'Pile Of Skulls' .»" There are also the usual ruthless Running Wild fire salvos in the lyrics: In "Bloody Island" and the bonus track "Payola & Shenanigans" Rock'n'Rolf criticizes the curse of greed, as it has been experienced especially in Europe's banking crisis of the past few years had to. Running Wild similarly bluntly address the obviously politically motivated privatization of drinking water in "Crystal Gold" and encourage their fans with "Fireheart" and "Run Riot" to self-confidence and vigilance towards authorities.

RUNNING WILD - Bloody Island (Snippet)

Rock'n'Rolf produced Resilient himself, Niki Nowy was again at his disposal for mixing and mastering, and Katharina Nowy and Peter Jordan, who contributed some guitar solos, also helped. For the first time, Rolf worked with concrete vocal lines during the demo recordings. “It was new for me to use specific lyrics and vocal melodies even in the demo stage, but it has absolutely proven itself, because I have never sung so well prepared in the studio before. I no longer had to face any finding process, but was able to do the final touches in the studio. A huge advantage!” Fortunately, anyone who has already written off Running Wild after the last album will be taught a lesson with “Resilient”. Here you can finally find everything that has been sorely missed at Running Wild in recent years.

«Running Wild» paid more attention to variety on the new album. With "Crystal Gold", "Resilient" itself and the untypical "Desert Rose" there are still a few songs on the album that are anchored in the mid-tempo area and thus provide a splash of color on the record. The pearl of "Resilient" is with "Bloody Island" but at the end of the record. Here Rolf bundles all the trademarks that have always characterized the band and creates a future classic. The goosebumps beginning with acoustic guitar and choir makes it clear early on that "Bloody Island" is a special song. Here, too, the typical Running Wild riffing comes into its own and the chorus is the best in what feels like four albums. Very strong album ending.

Running Wild have released a strong album with «Resilient», whose good impression is not diminished by the two somewhat pale tracks «Run Riot» and «Down To The Wire». "Resilient" is the album that "Running Wild" should have released as a comeback record. Rock'n'Rolf remembers its (old) strengths again: concise and catchy metal songs. So the majority of the titles are convincing this time. The fast numbers inspire with songwriting and joy of playing as well as the more rock-heavy titles, which simply seem more homogeneous on «Resilient» than on the last albums. All Running Wild fans can finally get their hands on «Resilient» without hesitation.

Tracklist

1. Soldiers Of Fortune
2. Resilient
3. Adventure Highway
4. The Drift
5. Desert Rose
6. Fireheart
7. Run riot
8. Down To The Wire
9. Crystal gold
10. Bloody Island
11. Payola and Shenanigans (bonus track)
12. Premonition (bonus track)

[rwp-review id=»0″]