Some of the headbangers who emerged in the 1980s made a conscious effort to change with the times after alternative became rock's primary direction in the '90s.
Metallica took the alternative plunge in a major way with 1996's Load,
Mötley Crüe incorporated industrial and grunge elements, and
Tommy Lee embraced rap-metal with his
Methods of Mayhem project of 1999. But other veteran headbangers stuck with '80s-style metal, including
Sinner -- whose
Crash and Burn is a 2008 release sounds like it could have been recorded around 1984 or 1985. Indeed, play
Crash and Burn after listening to albums that
Sinner actually recorded in the '80s, and it becomes clear that changing with the times is the last thing these German metalheads have in mind. The influences they had in the '80s --
Judas Priest,
Accept,
the Scorpions, and
Deep Purple, among others -- are the influences one hears on
Crash and Burn. And that isn't a bad thing. Sure,
Sinner could try to emulate alternative metal bands in the hope of sounding contemporary by 2008 standards, but if they forced themselves to do something they didn't really want to do, the results would most likely be awkward. Do we really want
Sinner to try to sound like
Lamb of God or
Killswitch Engage?
Crash and Burn might sound dated, but it also sounds inspired and focused. If
Sinner are stuck in the past, that is probably for the best because this is an enjoyable addition to their catalog -- not quite essential, but definitely enjoyable (at least if one is a die-hard fan of '80s metal).
Sinner's stubborn refusal to change with the times yields solid, if predictable, results on
Crash and Burn. ~ Alex Henderson