Sinner – The Second Decade – Review

Sinner

The Second Decade (Nuclear Blast)
by Martin Popoff

Well, it’s more like the second half of the second decade, Mat culling riff-mad tracks from his last three albums while adding a gaggle of rarities, including the previously unreleased “The Truth Is Out There,” a typically infectious pure metal stomper featuring the band’s original drummer, plus “Balls To The Wall” from the Accept tribute, a track seemingly built for the pint-draining grooves of Sinner. Near the close, there’s a live version of “Born To Rock” from the band’s Japan-issued live album, plus an acoustic version of the anti-racism anthem “Respect,” humorously marred by Mat’s uncouth construction worker vocals. So all in all, call this a cool introduction to one of Germany’s longest-running and most prolific power metal institutions, Sinner proudly up there with Rage and Grave Digger, creating a trinity of bands that endeavors year after year to make sure we don’t forget the free-burning guitar magic that drove Accept, Dio, Maiden, and Priest deep into our skulls through the heady days of the mid-’80s.(www.nuclearblast-usa.com)