NEIL TURBIN
THREATCON DELTA
By The PMRC
Neil Turbin really hasn’t done much musically since Anthrax’s 1984 release “Fistful of Metal”. Such a statement should speak volumes on what one should expect from a Neil Turbin solo effort some 20 years after the fact. In my quest to find that lost sound of metal past, I found myself eager to hear the release.
Neil Turbin’s release titled “Threat Con Delta” includes an assortment of 21 artists. Among the featured guests are keyboardist Claude Schnell (Dio), guitarist Mitch Perry (MSG), guitarist Kurt James (Driver), guitarist Vernon Anderson (Invicta), drums Henry Moreno (Imagika). However, after the release, the permanent members were announced as Neil Turbin – Lead Vocals, Dario Seixas – Bass Guitar, Izzy Diaz – Drums, Steve Ornest – Lead Guitar and Vernion Anderson – Lead Guitar.
The album starts off rather aggressively with “Cut to the Chase”. Musically, this song is a definite throw back to the 80’s thrash era. It has an early Anthrax feel to it, with more technical guitar work. As Neil starts in vocally on this track, it is somewhat of a rapid fire approach. Neil spits the lyrics out at the same blistering pace as the tempo, not really giving me a chance to gauge the sound of his voice. The style took me by surprise and left me uncertain as to if his voice had deteriorated over the years, or if he was just simply trying a new style… either way, I wasn’t impressed. This style continued with the next track “What You Can’t Control”.
The album takes a change in pace on the fourth track “Sick of it All”, which gives you more of an idea as to Neil’s vocal sound and range, but still masking it with somewhat of a muffled style. The tempo is slowed down substantially on this track. Mixed with a lot of lows and distortion, the guitar becomes somewhat unnoticeable as the bass stands out for a very muddy feel. Personally, I found this to be disappointing as the guitar work was what was carrying the album up until this point.
However, the high point for me was the next track “Keep the Fire”. This track you get the genuine sound that this band is capable of. No bullshit, no tricks, just straight forward throwback metal. “Keep the Fire” is very strong in melody and in my opinion, the most passionate song on this disc. Vernon Anderson peels off some catchy guitar licks on this track, which includes a nice solo as well. Neil finally let’s loose and belts out a more vocally driven track that shows off his range and sound. Although his voice has noticeably changed from the high pitched madman he was back in the early 80’s, he still shows he can sing. His voice is deeper and more powerful as he hits less highs, but still displaying range.
The album continues with this inconsistent formula from track to track. Not allowing the listener to really be grabbed, because the styles are so hit and miss. This album also includes two covers. Jimi Hendrix’s “Dolly Dagger” and AC/DC’s “Touch Too Much”. A highlight for me was the guitar work of Vernon Anderson, I really enjoyed his work on the six tracks he laid down. Overall, I walked away somewhat disappointed, but also optimistic. This band shows flashes. If they can stay together, they can only get better. I feel this album was more so about them finding their sound, rather than them finding an audience. I look forward to hearing more from this band as they progress.
* * ½
--- PMRC.
Track listing:
1. Wake Up Call
2. Cut To The Chase
3. What You Can’t Control
4. Sick Of It All
5. Keep The Fire
6. The Truth is The Best Lie
7. Blue Screen of Death
8. Dolly Dagger
9. Rat Race
10. Vigilante Justice
11. Touch Too Much
12. Wrecking Ball
13. Dog Eat Everything
14. Piece of Me
* * ½
