Mr. Richter
Self-Titled
Self-Released
Street: 06.09
Mr. Richter = Cauldron + Dio + Spellcaster’s vocals
I’m all about the classic heavy metal revival. Mr. Richter join the mêlée of Utah’s virtuosic-vocal NWOBHM with their debut, six-song EP, where they find a good portion of their heavy metal niche with elegiac songs including opener “Mr. Richter,” which pounds along at a heavy, steady pace set by drummer Tyler Russell, along with chuggy guitars that blast in and out of dual harmony from both guitarists. Where the band really shines, though, is when they speed up, as in “Gargoyle,” where the dirge bounces into a catchy yet dark chorus of a stonéd beast, and sonorous breakdowns snag back onto the main theme where the guitars work in technical switch-offs from muted-chords that spiral into melody. Other than perhaps not projecting to his full potential, vocalist Brandon Richter kills it in closer “Coward,” and lead guitarist Phee Richter shreds that axe in hammer-on verses and a killer solo. This EP is an impeccable start for a local metal outfit.