Leather is a heavy metal band from the USA formed in 1989 by Leather Leone – probably better known as the lead vocalist for fellow American metallers Chastain. Leather has released three albums – ‘Shock Waves’ (1989), ‘II’ (2019), and ‘We Are The Chosen’, released in 2022…
…featuring the singer’s undeniable passion for heavy metal. The new album is ten songs and fifty minutes of fast and furious metal, bordering on traditional but occasionally taking inspiration from the genres of thrash and speed. Not to mention the odd re-route into the anthemic territory – Leather really ramping up the differing styles of metal to produce a bombastic barrage of variation to please the various tastes of metal heads from all around the world. And right from the off, the band are in full flight with the blistering opening song ‘We Take Back Control’ – a fast and fiery sprint of headbang ability! And the vocal performance by Leather is aggressive and snarling, fully suited to ‘We Take Back Control’s savage speed.
And talking of speed – ‘Always Been Evil’ maintains the album’s red hot start. The pace is incredible, the aggression level insane, and the head-bang-able intensity will send the mosh pits into overdrive! It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a multitude of neck injuries among the moshers, such is the pace of ‘Always Been Evil’. Best get the number to hand for the local emergency services…just in case! A more traditional pace descends over the album as ‘Shadows’ bustles into sight and foot stomp heavily, with Leather’s vocals more aggressive than ever! The bustling foot stomp is blended with some doom-heavy riffing, with ‘Shadows’ turning in a fairly menacing performance. ‘Off With Your Head’ maintains the aggressive nature of the album so far, returning to the fore the pace and power of earlier – blended with the doom-heavy stomp of the previous song. The band pushes forth with the classic sound of heavy metal, full of energy, purpose and intent.
The title song, ‘We Are The Chosen’, adopts a much more melodic feel than heard so far – the pace and tempo are more head nodding than head banging. But that said, the infectious level remains sky high, as do Leather’s snarling vocals – the band running around the heavy metal genre, visiting every corner to deliver a varied and attractive collection of songs. ‘Tyrants’ picking up speed and galloping forth with one foot planted firmly on the monitor. Leather is heavy metal through and through – you have to take one look at the album cover to know that! And with the reputation Leather has built up over the years, you know that any output from her is going to be metal. The album takes a slight diversion at this point – ‘Hallowed Ground’ heading down the road into ballad country. Building a crescendo of heaviness, ‘Hallowed Ground’ manages to keep one foot out of balladry, maintaining a bold hymn-like aura that oozes menace and mellowness in equal measures.
Pace and power return with a vengeance, ‘Dark Days’ a savage speed-fest that excites and delights – every metal head everywhere wrecking their necks in a (vain) attempt to keep up! This is the energy-driven metal that we have come to expect of Leather, who is flying the heavy metal flag very high. And boy, oh boy, does the heaviness get heavier! ‘Who Rules The World’ delving deep into the metal trough, pounding the ground with riff after riff that screams metal – and with the change of pace, too, the mosh pits will love this one. The infectious level is now higher than ever, a warm fuzzy feeling filling the body from head to toe – with forearm hair, not the only thing to stand up in excitement!
And to bring the album to a close, the band return to the blinding speed and aggression of the opening double salvo – ‘The Glory In The End’ displaying a little hint of thrash as it pummels the senses into submission. What an emphatic and devastating end to a very good album of all-out and energy-driven heavy metal.
Overall, a thunderous avalanche of head bang-able heavy metal from a legend of the metal scene – Leather Leone.
TRACKLIST
We Take Back Control
Always Been Evil
Shadows
Off With Your Head
We Are The Chosen
Tyrants
Hallowed Ground
Dark Days
Who Rules The World
The Glory In The End
Leather: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Steamhammer / SPV
Category: Album
Country: USA
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
