Pounder is on of Matt Harvey’s bands, a true metal peddler, who during the last 30 years have honoured several genres of our favourite music with Exhumed, Gruesome, Gravehill, Dekapitator. In contrast with the aforementioned his vision with this project is traditional metal in the likes of the big classic bands as well NWOBHM which is enhanced by ‘70s classic rock, hard rock and ‘80s AOR.
If we didn’t have a clue about the band we could have easily jumped to the assumption that they are hungry teenagers making their dream come true, forming a band and releasing an album that reeks of sweat and spilled beer. The songs go with their tastes which are fast cars and even faser women, while musically they pay a gutsy tribute to Motörhead, Priest, Accept, Saxon, Maiden, Manowar… in the end it’s not that all of that is not true. The only thing is that these guys are not teenagers anymore!
The vocals at some points sound like they are coming from the underground and they barely stand out from the rest instruments in the mix. But that doesn’t really matter. What counts is the passion, the energy and the feeling that you are indestructible wearing the armor of your favourite music. That’s what really matters. Plus, I should note that “Never Forever”, despite the keyboard intro, reminded me Racer X, and that’s a good thing really!
