Henry Metal

In the world of metal, you'll find a lot of very serious individuals. Ranting about the burning bodies of napalm victims or the latest animal dismemberment to come into vogue are not subjects one can broach with a flippant air. And yet, metal in some circles has always lived on the border of comedy, when the dark crosses over to the absurd. Alice Cooper's show for all its gore had a comic-like schtick to it. Dave Mustaine's voice is often more like a cartoon voice actor than a metal growling harbinger. Perhaps, one of the quintessential songs to portray this demented sideshow culture was 'Fire', the 1968 cult hit from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. A grease-painted madman who's bizarre hit was half 'In-a-gadda-da-vida', half 'Lowrider' which he ran around singing with his head on fire.

Henry Metal is proudly following in the footsteps of Arthur Brown, even going ahead and covering 'Fire', his classic ode to insanity. Metal O' Clock is the fourth release from the prolific metalsmith this year and its topics range from the ancient Norse gods to the perils of modern plastic surgery. All taken on with a wink and a jab.

In the opener, Metal takes the time to ensure everyone is aware of his not giving a fuck in 'I Don't Care' a song that delivers a punk rock middle finger to clear the air right off the bat. The single 'Thrash Your Head' channels Megadeth directly with a straightforward chugging ode to rocking out. Airy synths and a harpsichord solo from left field join the shred. 'Odin' and 'For the Love of Freyja' reach back into antiquity for inspiration, dropping the joking tone and taking on a more decidedly arena rock feel.

Metal O' Clock is a fun romp with all the wild theatrics and grand references that have kept metal maniacs in face paint since the 60s. Henry himself is an accomplished shredder and arranger, crafting tight complex power metal anthems. He brings you FIRE!