Winger--Pull (1993)
Rating--9.1
Junkyard Dog--RealAudio Like a Ritual--RealAudio
Erase from your mind all the previous memories of this band that you may hold. "She's only seventeeeennn..." Yeah, you
know what I'm talking about. Get rid of all of them. Ok. Now that we've done that, let's more forward...
What we have here
is an amazingly swift and solid metal offering, blending crisp acoustic phrasings, pure and emotional vocal work, and blistering riffs
and chops. The band's past kept this disc from getting its just due, but it smokes--plain and simple.
"Blind Revolution Mad"
starts with an acoustic intro that lasts for over two minutes, leading one to believe this will be a light hitter. I think not... A crunch
riff descends around the two-minute mark, as Reb Beach takes command with his precise fretwork-- which will continue for the duration of the disc.
"Down Incognito" reminds of Tesla with its intro windings, and "Spell I'm Under" is a great acoustic/electric
layering, with a superb and powerful chorus. Very similar is "The Lucky One", which reminds of the best of
Slaughter.
"In My Veins" is nasty, and struts with attitude. The pure churning power of "Junkyard Dog," track number five,
is when you really realize the magnitude of this band's coming of age. A head-moving groove at 0:28, and then a new riff
at 0:43. A bludgeoning selection through-and-through, with a caustic chorus. The track pulls away around the four minute mark for a couple
of minutes of acoustic musings...
"In For the Kill" has a soaring, yearning chorus, as Kip Winger has never sounded better.
The absolutely mean chug of "No Man's Land" breaks the neck, with another superb chorus tagging along as well. "Like a Ritual"
makes it three bruisers in a row with a California strut riff and plenty of vanity.
This mini-opus closes out with the all-acoustic
"Who's the One," a mesmerizer which simply drips with atmosphere and strength.
Folks, I've seen this one in cut-out bins for
four or five bucks. If you like slashing rock/metal, you'll love it. One of the more pleasant "shocks" I've come across-- definitely not
the Winger of old.
TRACK LIST: Blind Revolution Mad/Down Incognito/Spell I'm Under/In My Veins/Junkyard Dog (Tears of Stone)/The Lucky One/
In For The Kill/No Man's Land/Like a Ritual/Who's the One
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