Reviews list for Running Wild - Death or Glory (1989)

5 years before this second attempt at reviewing this album, when I was trying to restore my earlier melodic heavy/power metal taste, there are some bands I hadn't checked out yet until that point, such as Running Wild and Virgin Steele. Sometimes an attempt at bringing back something from the past ends up falling flat, and when that happened then, I've forgotten about those bands for a few years. But with my Guardians interest back and stronger than ever, it's time to revisit Running Wild's grand pinnacle!

Death or Glory still stands as one of my favorite 80s speedy heavy/power metal albums, with total synergy in the music and lyrics. This epic classic of an album is what helped the whole "pirate metal" idea catch on and be expanded further decades later by Alestorm and later Visions of Atlantis.

The album opens with what I still think is the best track here and one of my favorite songs of the 80s heavy/power metal sound, "Riding the Storm". It is an absolute diamond gem of a song. The mid-paced intro sounds like it could've influenced the Pirates of the Caribbean theme, then speeds up into a total early power metal storm. The vocals by Rolf Kasparek help shape things up especially in perhaps the best chorus of the album. The soloing and the bridge also rule. An epic start to a glorious masterpiece album! The brilliant strength doesn't end there as "Renegade" is worth following up from that track with more of its energy. There's even a spoken passage before some speedy melodic soloing. The next song "Evilution" is a little weak compared to the rest but still great enough that the album's 5-star rating isn't affected.

Fortunately we have another one of the best songs here in "Running Blood". It's more mid-paced as the dark "witch trials" are called out with the message being clear in the heavy chorus. "Highland Glory" is a great instrumental. In terms of metal instrumentals, it isn't one of the best tracks of the album but it is one of the best of heavy/power metal. "Marooned" has fast riffing melody that sounds so unique. The riffing sounds so melodic, and the drumming is fast but not thrashy fast, all helping separate power metal from speed metal. Also, cool gang vocals at the end. "Bad to the Bone" isn't as highlight-worthy as I once thought it was, yet it's still catchy, especially in the chorus.

"Tortuga Bay" keeps up the great riffing power and choruses. The title track is one of the best title tracks I've heard in 80s heavy/power metal. I absolutely love the soloing there! Then it leads to "The Battle of Waterloo", a nearly 8-minute closing epic, and it's obviously what it's written about. A bagpipe intro leads into battle-ready metal that gets more progressive beyond the first chorus. The CD edition contains a bonus track, "March On" which I don't think is as good as the rest here.

Death or Glory is one of the true best albums of early heavy/power metal. I recommend listening to it all the way through, specifically the 50-minute vinyl edition without that bonus track, the edition I've based my 5-star rating on. All those strong songs have sealed the band's identity as the OG heavy metal pirates. Listen on and sail on!

RIP Majk Moti

Favorites: "Riding the Storm", "Running Blood", "Marooned", "Death or Glory", "The Battle of Waterloo"

Running Wild are one of the earliest Power Metal bands around, starting as Speed/Heavy Metal but moving closer to true Power Metal by the end of the 80’s. With each release, they sailed further from mediocracy to uniquely speedy melodic pirate metal with delicious riffs and gruff but talented vocals. Death or Glory is the peak of their 80’s material and often cited as their magnum opus.

The opening track “Riding the Storm” is indeed possibly the finest Power Metal song that had been laid to record by 1989. The guitar leads weave melodic, infectious riffs around a constantly pummeling rhythm section that keeps the song at full energy the whole ride through. The vocal performance is just awesome. Never a dull moment in the epic rocking of over 6 minutes. The title track “Death or Glory” captures this in a similar vein. Though much shorter, the atmosphere is just as epic and powerful, and that chorus stands against the best. Two prime examples of what a perfect Power Metal song should be.

Unfortunately, while the rest of album is great, there’s nothing else that can really hold its own against the aforementioned tracks. It mostly just blends together as strong but unmemorable material. It’s also a bit of a problem when the album starts on its highest note and ends on its lowest (the slower “March On” leaves a bit to be desired and sounds like an arena rocker). Truly, Running Wild wrote some of the best Power Metal songs of all time, but Death or Glory as an album doesn’t quite match such standards.