HARDWARES

Wretch were mid-‘80s Cleveland based traditional metallers, unfortunately overshadowed on an international scale by the likes of Shok Paris and Breaker (whose ‘Touch Like Thunder’ is reworked here). Alumni can be found in the later act, as well as Seven Witches and Beyond Fear, yet the calling card has been the leather lungs of mainstay Colin Watson. After many years and an appearance at the BW&BK 6-Pack Weekend pre-party, Wretch got around to recording some long dormant songs with Cleve-impresario Bill Peters. The band inhabits a similar style to classic Metal Church, too powerful for today’s happy Euro-metal, yet not gruff enough for death. ‘Life’ is something of a longstanding calling card, although the tuneful gallop of ‘Eyes Of Fate’ will probably turn heads quicker. ‘The Winners’ is a slow boiler, with Watson hitting stratospheric highs amongst the acoustic and fuzz-tone twin guitars. On the opposite extreme, in terms of pacing, is the thunderclap starting “I Am Storm’. The closing ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ will get the German faithful frothing for a festival appearance, and rightly so!