▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Culprit ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Guilty as Charged █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2000 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-12-31 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Hellion Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Reissue ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Shit! I got this album a couple of months ago and █ █ hadnÆt listened to it until now. ItÆs great! █ █ Culprit are a straight-up, no-nonsense heavy metal █ █ band from the notable north-western █ █ music-producing (aside from Nirvana) city of █ █ Seattle. This is their only full-length, but █ █ luckily they have a smattering of other minor █ █ releases to supplement it. Pretty energetic, early █ █ style metal retaining touches of that 70Æs █ █ Riot-ish type sound. Top marks to whoever █ █ submitted the band to the archives. █ █ Anyway, the title track of this one is the long, █ █ drawn out and guitar lead heavy æGuilty as █ █ ChargedÆ, an ambitious affair bringing to the █ █ table some real talent. Theres plenty of pace here █ █ and the variety of different stuff done in the one █ █ place makes for more interesting listening. This █ █ is much the style of Culprit û like other bands █ █ from around this period, they enjoy these extended █ █ guitar parts û which is fine. █ █ The heavy metal track æIce in the BackÆ is solid █ █ as fuck too. Vocals are great, and remind me of █ █ the dude in Lizzy Borden. In the verse lyrics, █ █ thereÆs some great moments particularly this: in █ █ the bit where he says this (ôhell is but a flame - █ █ The trouble it shows █ █ And everyone knows you to blame!ö) the vocalist █ █ does puts screaming emphasis on the words flame █ █ and blame, a very menacing banshee-like screaming █ █ quality that sends chills down your spine û █ █ fantastic. Interesting choice of song title for █ █ the track too. █ █ The slower number æSame to YouÆ is well executed, █ █ with a NWOBHMy feel and plenty of emotion. The █ █ intro scream that gets faded up louder and louder █ █ is a great touch and sounds like something out of █ █ Grim Reaper or their German equivalents. This █ █ gallopy power metalish track is epic with █ █ excellent vocals and some simple yet fucking great █ █ guitar. Kind of Riot thing going here, with tinges █ █ of 70Æs rock in the mix. █ █ Altogether this oneÆs a scorcher from an unknown █ █ act that deserves a lot of respect. The addition █ █ of the live tracks is a plus too, adding some █ █ length (and girth?) to the release, which is █ █ already considerable due to the extended guitar █ █ leads and riff varying approach taken. Fucking █ █ fantastic album with some real good numbers. These █ █ guys have a great feel û very æmetalÆ with dirty, █ █ aggressiveness coming through and those █ █ aforementioned 70Æs rock bits coming through due █ █ to the early date of the release. Well worth █ █ searching for û this release should be appreciated █ █ by anyone. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Guilty as Charged 5:45 ░ ░ 2. Ice in the Back 5:09 ░ ░ 3. Steel to Blood 4:28 ░ ░ 4. I Am 3:45 ░ ░ 5. Ambush 3:54 ░ ░ 6. Tears of Repentance 5:10 ░ ░ 7. Same to You 4:57 ░ ░ 8. Fight Back 4:05 ░ ░ 9. Players 5:38 ░ ░ 10. Guilty as Charged (Live '98) 6:28 ░ ░ 11. Stone Cold Crazy (Queen cover) (Live 2:31 ░ ░ '98) ░ ░ 12. Fight Back (Live '98) 4:37 ░ ░ 56:27 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░