Wicked Sensation
Outbreak

It was a while since Wicked Sensation last released an album, it was an Adrenaline Rush then and now it is an Outbreak. David Reece who replaced regular singer Robert Soeterboek on the last album is listed as a member this time and it looks a bit Mad Max if you check the cover art. I have liked this band’s previous works, Adrenaline Rush which is the only one reviewed here was given a rating of five, so it was very favourable. This time it appears conceptual and a bit sci-fi when listening to the intro, but then it is just another heavy metal album in terms of style.

It is a catchy and well-produced album with good energy and pace. David Reece does well in the vocal department, but I can’t help thinking that Soeterboek would have given more life to the songs and Reece sounds a bit tired or soulless. I don’t think it is a particularly interesting album from the creative aspect either, we have heard albums like this many times over, like most albums I have listened to lately it feels like it steals and borrows from others and there is nothing of Wicked Sensation themselves here – that is the problem with a singer like Reece as well, as he has been heard in so many different bands it sounds like it could be any of those as well.

Outbreak works in many regards, it is accessible and catchy, and it is pretty good. Problem is that albums of this quality are coming almost daily, and you can argue that it is a testament to the quality of music released today, but also to the lack of ideas in the music scene today. The first song Starbreaker sets a good tone and you kind of hope for more like it, but my interest wanes as the album lingers on.

You will not think that Outbreak is a poor album, but I want a more wicked sensation when listening to a band with such a name. This is good, but also quite boring, like something from one more of those bands satisfied with doing the same as everyone else. I would want this one as a gift for Christmas, and I wouldn’t give it to anyone either – so the question is who is it for? I guess it is for those who wants music to be static, who fear progress and creative thinking. Not something I would play when isolated during an outbreak, but it isn’t a terrible album for such an occasion.

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