Hellfueled -Â Born II Rock
There is a line between being âInfluenced byâ and pretty much aping the style of another band, but Swedish band Hellfueled takes things too far one way, that I'm surprised they haven't had a âCease and desistâ letter from Sharon Osbourne. Yes, this band is so very much trying to be Ozzy Osbourne's blizzard wizards, but minus much of the songwriting prowess.
The most prominent in this replica is in the vocals from bassist/singer Andy Alkman that copy the production, phrasing, and style of the of Ozzy's solo material, itâs a shame that he lacks the charisma of the bubbling drunk we all love, nor the legendary status to pull it off successfully.
The riffs and guitar work too, does admirably well as it can to be of the same lineage but guitarist  Jocke Lundgren is no Randy Rhoads, or Zakk Wylde, or even Jake E Lee; more along the lines of Joe Holmes (who? Exactly). Tracks such as âI Don't careâ and âOn The Runâ sound so close to some of Ozzie's tracks that it becomes a disappointment when it leans into the sub-standard tunes that these turn into. Perhaps there is there the tiniest bit of added beef to some of the riffs and intros, courtesy of some groove metal inspired moments but it's never really enough to satisfy.
Most of the flaws are kind of forgivable if actually like most of Ozzy Osbourne post-Black Sabbath output but with some of the laziest lyrics I've read for a while, it makes redemption really hard (and I'm not even a big lyrics guy).
just lean back and hold on tight
I'll make you feel alright tonight.
Tonight you will have the time of your life
So if you are in the very small camp of a âsolo onlyâ Ozzy fans, you'll either love this for bringing a touch of the magic or be very disappointed! My advice to this band is to drop the charade and just become a straight up cover band.
