Album Notes

NO LIFE TIL METAL . COM REVIEW
Boarders - The World Hates Me (Retroactive) 2009

1. "True Rebellion” (3:57)
2. "Baptized With Fire” (3:53)
3. "Schmertzgarten” (4:25)
4. "Never Alone” (4:22)
5. "In My Darkest Hour” ( 6:16)
6. "Jump For Joy” ( 4:12)
7. "For What It’s Worth” (3:07)
8. "Deliver You Back To Hell” (4:13)
9. "W.P.D.” ( 3:25)
10. "Till Life Do Us One” ( 3:57)
11. "The World Hates Me” (5:24)

Boarders are an Italian heavy metal band that are a hybrid of styles. "The World Hates Me" features a blending of melodic sensibilities and aggressive thrash influences. Songs like "Schmertzgarten" and "Deliver You Back To Hell" showcase the bands thrash and speed metal influences. The band wears their influences on their sleeve at times, and even play tribute to one of their biggest influences with a cover of Megadeth's "In My Darkest Hour". However, a more melodic aspect to the band is showcased on the straightforward metal direction taken on songs like "True Rebellion" and "Jump For Joy". With these songs, Boarders has more in common with AC/DC than they do with Megadeth and Metallica. On other songs like "Baptized With Fire" the band successfully mixes both styles together.

Vocalist Egi has a good range and does well on both the thrash and traditional metal numbers. Album opener "True Rebellion" has Egi signing in a high range, with a slight bit of grit in his voice. On my first listen I was reminded of an Australian band that was quite popular last year called Airbourne. "Never Alone" is the one ballad on the album. This melancholy song features female vocalist Mariangelo Scafati sharing lead vocals duties. Eli gives an incredible vocal performance on this song, belting out a high pitched scream towards the end of the song that would rival Geoff Tate in his prime. For the heavier numbers such as "For What It's Worth" Egi adds more harshness to his voice, almost sounding like a different singer. On "Baptized with Fire", where Boarders melds together their thrash and classic metal influences, Egi's vocals give the band a sound not unlike some of the great speed metal bands of the past like Agent Steel, Realm and Toxik. Guitarist Gigi lays down some choice chops and catchy riffs that makes the melding of styles work well together.

"The World Hates Me" was originally released in 2007 on independent German label Quam Libet. The CD was finally made available in the US in January of 2009 by Retroactive Records.

PHANTOM TOLLBOTH REVIEW
The World Hates Me
Artist: Boarders
Label: Retroactive Records
Time: 11 tracks/47:06 minutes
It's rare that a metal band surprises me. Having been a tried and true metalhead for over half my life I've heard every genre, sub-genre, and sub-sub-genre in the metal world. That being said, Italy's Boarders surprised me. It's not that they're innovative; frankly they're not. Nor are they unique. They wear their influences on their sleeves, even covering the Megadeth classic "In My Darkest Hour." What sets Boarders apart for me is the way that they combine different styles into a record that is instantly catchy, familiar but not derivative, and undeniably enjoyable throughout.

Musically Boarders owe a lot to the Bay Area Thrash scene of the late eighties, specifically Megadeth. But some tracks, such as the opener "True Rebellion" and the insanely addictive "Jump For Joy" have more in common with AC/DC than thrash. There are also a couple of true metal ballads- not that pop metal crap, but emotive and gritty stuff along the lines of Aerosmith's "Dream On." The guitar work is great, guitarist Gigi throws down some killer leads. However, the vocals steal the show here. Egi's vocals are phenomenal. He has a fantastic range, pulling off James Hetfield like growls and soaring Jimmy Brown style shrieks without a hitch, often in the same song! The best example is the chorus of W.P.D. in which he growls "Work! Pay! Die!" and then yells "Die!" at the top of his lungs. Some of the lyrics are a bit hard to follow though. English is obviously the band's second language and I think a lot of the meaning is lost in translation. ("Till Death Do Us One?" Huh?)

The World Hates Me is an absolute delight from beginning to end. It's got that classic metal feel but never gets stale. If you like thrash, hard rock, and great soaring vocals you will love this record.

4/5

Noah Salo

METAL TO INFINITY

Probably, most of you out there never heard of Italy's Boarders so far - I can tell you right from the beginning of this review... this is something real good! ''The World Hates Me'' is the band's first output since started many years ago as a Megadeth tribute formation. Their debut work was actually recorded in 2007 through Quam Libet (Ger) - awesome initiative from the department of US based Retroactive Records to re-release this beautiful masterpiece once again.

What to expect from ''The World Hates Me'' is quite a lot - nothing but fantastic songs to make it all so attractive. You can go out different alleys, that's for sure. The album has so much good intentions on board, let me be clear and tell you all mainly old school maniacs definitely will have a blast while checking out these guys' songs. Unique vocals from Egi (also lead guitarist), mostly high tuned... here and there he uses a more lower style of singing filled with harsh grained elements - brilliant! Awesome guitar duties delivered by leading force Egi and companion Gigi... both riffage and solo tasks able to let flow the blood in my veins furiously by full passion. Oscar and Roby in for all bass and drum lines - sincere compliments to them also!

First song called 'True Rebellion' is totally eighties Heavy Metal minded, for some reason reminiscent to early Ratt or Black 'n Blue... nothing wrong with that, I just like it! 'Baptized With Fire' gives me a great feel like I had in the early days of Metallica and albums such as ''Ride The Lightning'' / ''Master Of Puppets''. Boarders deliver the goods so far, up to next song. 'Schmetzgarten' is a nice and tender Heavy Metal track in the vein of Annihilator / Megadeth / Metal Church... bull's eye again!

Time to take a little break and recharge the energy level with the Metal ballad 'Never Alone' which calm song, played with passion but the vocals here are lower minder (mid-octave) but oh so beautiful... I dare to compare with Jeff Scott Soto, one of my favourite singers of all time! I told you in the beginning of this review Boarders started as a Megadeth tribute band, check out the following track 'In My Darkest Hour' and be a witness of one of the greatest Megadeth cover songs ever... that's all I want to say about! 'Jump For Joy' kicks me in the head again - this one feels like a meeting between early Motley Crue and early Metallica - what a brilliant tempo changing at the end!

More variety on musical ground comes up with the songs 'For What It's Worth', vocally wise, be ready for another turn... this time we go all the way for aggressive vocals in the vein of Carcass (album: Swansong). ''And Justice For All'' (Metallica) fanatics, put on your vintage cloths and band along during 'Deliver You Back To Hell'. And so the story of ''The World Hates Me'' continues further to close the curtain with a great instrumental composition, the title track actually! Begins in somekind of a 'Doom Metal' modus but takes another turn a bit later on. Low tuned guitars / down tempo rhythms with dark passages and catchy atmospheres... the approach of the finish does blaze up the fire again with awesome guitar solos to the extreme. It does reminds me to Metallica's 'The Call Of Ktulu'.

Without a doubt a superb output from a band I never heard of before - I'm truly overwhelmed with a band Boarders, better believe ''The World Hates Me'' will be played more than once here the place I live... reducing volume to the maximum, I won't give a damn about complaining neighbors - that's for sure! Metal maniacs into Heavy / Thrash / Power and even Hard Rock the old school way - start your engines with smoking valves on the hunt for Boarders... ''The World Hates Me''. My sincere congrats to the band are for real! MY POINTS: 93 / 100