Charred Walls of the Damned - Charred Walls of the Damned

February 22, 2010

Reviewer: The Stream

Metal drummer extraordinaire and Howard Stern personality Richard Christy has assembled a group of fellow Iced Earth alumni for his solo project, which he named Charred Walls of the Damned, after one of his famous Howard Stern Show phone pranks. Christy enlisted the help of Ripper Owens and Steve DiGiorgio, both formerly of Iced Earth, as well as Capharnaum guitarist/producer Jason Suecof to bring the shreddage. You have been warned that Charred Walls of the Damned sounds like nothing you have heard in the recent past. The album is truly unique.

Richard Christy is known for his ridiculous drumming skills. He played alongside Chuck Schuldiner in Death for several years and brought seriously technical drumming to the forefront of the American death metal scene. After a brief stint with Iced Earth, Christy focused his efforts on the Howard Stern Show and apparently on writing music. Yes, you read that correctly. Richard Christy wrote this material. Through my research I also learned that he has been playing the guitar for over 10 years. There is no doubt that he enlisted top-shelf musicians for this project.

I was not sure what to expect in terms of music from such a diverse group of musicians. When I heard the single, "Ghost Town," my apprehensions disappeared, though. Richard Christy's incredibly technical drumming drives a unique brand of melodic metal at varied tempos from start to finish throughout this five-plus minute track. "Ghost Town" contains elements of death metal, traditional metal, as well as power metal, which the entire lineup is quite familiar with. Jason Suecof's riffing is high speed and his sweep-picking solos are equally fast, making the song among the strongest on the album.

The rest of the album is far less cookie-cutter than "Ghost Town". Ripper Owens is able to utilize his full vocal range: something he was not at liberty to do with Iced Earth and Yngwie Malmsteen. Listen to "Manifestations" and "The Darkest Eyes" for your daily helping of shrieks. Steve DiGiorgio brings an added dimension of expertise with his fretless bass and the often complex bass lines that he brings to this album. Tempo and style vary widely from song to song- Jason Suecof demonstrates his ability to play brutally fast death/thrash metal riffs in songs like "The Darkest Eyes" while he plays in a more standard traditional heavy metal style in songs like "Creating Our Machine" and "Voices Within the Walls". Suecof's solos encompass various combinations of sweep-picking arpeggios and/or chromatic runs as well as legato picking. He's definitely a skilled guitarist. I would have liked to hear additional variations in technique; a dive-bomb or two would suit this style of music well!

My main gripe with Charred Walls of the Damned is the lyrics. A majority of the songs on the album are about achieving personal goals and triumphing over adversity. The name of the project certainly wouldn't lead one to expect such lyrical content. A number of songs also seem to be directed toward someone in Richard Christy's life, possibly his fiancée. Although I am not certain of the motivation behind Christy's songwriting, one thing is certain- these lyrics do not fit this style of music. The first line of  "World So Cruel" is "Struggling in a world so cruel/ trying hard not to fail/Sometimes making it through the day is like walking on nails/"  while "From the Abyss" contains the verse "Every day filled with darkness and rain/You were there to ease my endless pain". This type of writing is certainly not expected in the heavy metal genre.

Overall Charred Walls of the Damned is a solid album. I highly recommend that anyone with an appreciation for technical drumming listen to this album from start to finish. Richard Christy's command of the drumset is remarkable. The other musicians involved in the project are certainly top rate, which only makes the album more enjoyable. The interesting songwriting sets the band apart from current players in the metal scene. Whether it's a positive difference is your decision. Either way the album is hard-hitting and definitely memorable!

Release Date: February 2nd, 2010
Label: Metal Blade

TRACK LISTING

1.  Ghost Town
2.  From the Abyss
3.  Creating Our Machine
4.  Blood on Wood
5.  In a World so Cruel
6.  Manifestations
7.  Voices Within the Walls
8.  The Darkest Eyes
9.  Fear in the Sky
   
Total playing time:  35:24

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