Black & Damned – Resurrection

Black & Damned
Resurrection
Label: RPM | Roar
Out: March 14^th, 2025
Playing time: 43:52

Once upon a time. That’s how fairy tales begin. But the Covid pandemic was more of a nightmare. Condemned to do nothing, guitarist and bassist Michael Vetter (ex-Pump) and singer Roland Seidel (ex-Wasteland) decided to produce a series of metal songs together in 2020. Twelve in total. Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Helloween are cited as influences. The songs were recorded with renowned musicians, mixed and mastered by Achim Köhler (Primal Fear, Brainstorm, among others). The result of this work (‘Heavenly Creatures’) could be enjoyed from January 2021. The follow-up ‘Servants Of The Devil’ was released two years later. And in March, the third album ‘Resurrection’ by Black & Damned from the Stuttgart region saw the light of day.

A tough start. First with ‘Silence Breaker’. Hard riffs, driving drums and the powerful vocals of Roland ‘Bobbes’ Seidel. The crowning glory is a strong twin guitar solo. It could have been a bit longer This is exactly how ‘Ruthless Wrath’ presents itself. Rhythm and lead guitar alongside the drumming ensure a high tempo. This time, the two guitarists offer a longer and at the same time high-quality guitar solo. ‘Red Heavens’ proves that things can be done differently. It gets heavy and dark. Hard on the edge of Epic Doom. Bobbes’ vocals are much calmer than before and are accompanied by a subtle drum rhythm. But later he also lets his powerful voice resound. For me, this is one of the highlights of the album. ‘Bound By The Moon’ then rocks a lot more again. But there are also quieter passages. And a sing-along refrain. Driving drums and big guitar hooks introduce ‘Circle Of Amnesia’. An extremely melodic song. And another refrain that fans are sure to sing along to live. Black & Damned show a knack for the intros to the individual songs. They always match the actual song that follows. This can also be heard in ‘Injustice’. After the dreamy acoustic guitars, a calm but powerful Metal anthem is developed. Another highlight, also thanks to the once again strong guitar solo. But then the quieter and sometimes emotional songs come to an initial end. The musicians pick up speed again with ‘Searing Flames’. Once again, the drumming drives the guitarists and the singer to top performances. The tempo is only slowed down a little during the refrain. ‘Shadows’ starts with a calm bass line. Well-placed riffs underpin Roland Seidel’s vocals. Epic Doom, which reminds a little of Black Sabbath. Keyrboards can always be heard in the background. ‘Reborn In Solitude’ is pure Power Metal. The intro to ‘Navigate Me To The Sun’ is short and offers a progression from calm to rocking. The song gives off a lot of Metal anthem atmosphere.

‘Resurrection’ is a real Metal masterpiece. Although I have emphasised one or two songs, the others are by far not worse. Ten metal bangers that offer plenty of variety – anthems, Power Metal and High-Speed Metal alternate. There are also soulful, doomy songs. And singer Roland Seidel puts his own personal stamp on every single song with his versatile voice. From my point of view, the album is a clear recommendation to buy. What began during a nightmarish time has developed into an outstanding Metal act. Just like in a fairy tale, there is a happy ending here too.

Black & Damned – Red Heavens: https://youtu.be/EXN51CLYSl8?si=_vUnbyzHsEMDuDwJ

Lineup:

Roland “Bobbes” Seidel – Vocals
Michael Vetter – Guitar
Aki Reissmann – Guitar
Pappe Lee – Bass
Axel Winkler – Drums

Track list:

• Silence Breaker
• Ruthless Wrath
• Red Heavens
• Bound By The Moon
• Circle Of Amnesia
• Injustice
• Searing Flames
• Shadows
• Reborn In Solitude
• Navigate Me To The Sun