When two bass players from the Big Four thrash outfits team up to join forces in creating music, the outcome has to be truly refreshing. So when Frank Bello of Anthrax & David Ellefson of Megadeth met back in 2010 to form Altitudes and Attitudes, they left their fans in anticipation which comes to an end this year, as they released their first album “Get it out” on the 18th January 2019 under the record label of Megaforce records.
Frank with his grungy voice handles the vocals for the album along with strumming some great riffs on the guitars, David fills in rhythm and bass and we have Jeff Friedl (of the A Perfect Circle’s fame) kicking it hard on the drums. To top that, the album has a plethora of artists collaborating such as Ace Frehley (ex-KISS), Gus G. (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind), Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper), Christian Martucci (Stone Sour) and Satchel (Steel Panther).
The first track, “Get it out” starts off with rugged guitar riff, full of energy and glamour and culminates with a melodic yet loud guitar solo. Next up we have, “Late” slamming up the rhythm with heavy guitar chugs and adding a great deal of melody with the vocals in the song. “Out here” brings in jarred distorted bass opening the track, the muffled drum beats supplemented with a catchy riff carry the song forward. The high pitched mini guitar solo brings some flair to the song.
“Part of me” takes on low tone guitar riff and hammers you for a really long time with its doom metal sounding riff muddled with a heavy yet monstrous sound, the blitzing guitar solo (feat. Nita Strauss) closes this song off in style. Ellefson stated that, “The heavier stuff is usually the stuff that I bring in, which I think gives the album nice color. It was originally a guitar idea that I had, but then we had an eight-string bass in the studio, and I plugged it into a Kemper [amp], and I started writing a lot of bits and parts for ‘Part of Me’. Frank helped me finish up the lyric idea, and it became that song.”
Bello adds: “David came up with a great musical piece for ‘Part of Me’. The lyrics [are about] being in a place where you want to express yourself, whatever that may be in your life. If you always wanted to do something, don’t be held down by anything. I certainly have an inner anger, a part of me that I don’t want to let out, but if you keep pushing me, it’s going to come out. I think everybody’s got that in them, but they try to keep it in, until they’re pushed to the point where they can’t help but get it out.”
“Slip” got some signature old school rock beats coupled with crafty riffs, which will surely get you head-banging. Parts of “Talk to me” definitely sound like punk rock and part of it resonating a very Van Halen sound. “Leviathan” brings in a chilly atmospheric soundscape, with a rumbling bass paired up with an acoustic guitar intro which quickly shifts to distorted tonal solo, adding a lot of harmonizing guitar bits and eventually taking on duelling making this a terrific Instrumental track on this album.
“Cold” experiments a lot with its sound and song arrangements, much than what I’ve come across till now. It gives plenty of room to melody, has knee jerk hooks giving this song a great edge and anticipation on what’s to follow next. A great melodic and catchy chorus is definitely going to get you grooving. “Another Day” has solid song arrangement and a mature sound, Frank showcases true skill with his excellent vocal delivery and manages to pull off a great ballad in the making. The album ends with a hypnotic track, “All there is”, which is delightful and sounds appropriate for a closure track to this tremendous partnership.
Production : The production on the album is average, at times some of the instruments had a muffled sound and weren’t clearly heard.
Conclusion : It’s a treat if you are looking for something old school. They have a fresh perspective on their sound, although not for someone who are expecting anything thrash. I would recommend this track for all the Megadeth and Anthrax fans. Go Buy!
Rating: 7.5/10
Written by: Ankit Sood
Tracklist:
- Get It Out
- Late
- Out Here
- Part Of Me
- Slip
- Talk To Me
- Leviathan
- Cold
- Another Day
- All There Is
Band members:
David Ellefson – Guitars, Bass
Frank Bello – Vocal, Guitars , Bass
Jeff Friedl – Drums
Release date: Jan. 18th. 2019
Record label: Megaforce Records
Lyric video for ‘Out Here’
Video (audio) for ‘Late’