Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/savage-master-dark-dangerous-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Savage Master – Dark & Dangerous Review</a></p><p><i>By Kenstrosity</i></p><p>I had the pleasure of catching <strong>Savage Master</strong> live during January’s Heavy Mountain Music Festival. Eight straight hours of killer music, with no duds across the entire bill, played a key role in rekindling my lust for live music after the hurricane tried—and failed—to wash away my spirit. For their part, the Kentucky occult/heavy metal quintet were one of the best acts of the night, brimming with classic crowd-rousing energy and sparkling stage chemistry. However, their reputation for <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/savage-master-myth-magic-steel-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">varied</a> <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/savage-master-whips-chains-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">reception</a> by our <span><strong>Ape ov Steel</strong></span> on this blog precedes them. Can they recover some devilish grace with upcoming fifth record, <em>Dark & Dangerous</em>?</p><p>Citing such reference points as <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/cirith-ungol-dark-parade-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Cirith Ungol</strong></a>, <strong>Bitch</strong>, and even <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/saxon-hell-fire-and-damnation-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Saxon</strong></a>, not much about <strong>Savage Master</strong>’s BDSM-based, Satan-seducing approach to heavy metal changed since <em>With Whips and Chains </em>and <em>Myths, Magic & Steel</em>. Guitar and vocal forward, <em>Dark & Dangerous</em> doubles down on catchy riffs, shreddy solos, infectious verses, and sticky choruses delivered with the same occult swagger I love about acts like <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-march-2024s-angry-misses/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Saturday Night Satan</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/avatarium-between-you-god-the-devil-and-the-dead-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Avatarium</strong></a>‘s bouncier material. Challenging the status quo of heavy metal at large isn’t on <strong>Savage Master</strong>’s agenda, but rollicking tracks like “The Edge of Evil” suck you into a hellish party vibe that doesn’t want to let you go until it has your body and soul for itself for all eternity. In other words, <em>Dark & Dangerous</em> is oodles of fun, and it gives the impression that <strong>Savage Master</strong> has as much, if not more, fun than you.</p><p></p><p>Despite Stacey Savage’s sultry, powerhouse delivery, it is Julian Fried’s and Larry Myer’s dueling axe antics that lock the devil’s seal on <em>Dark & Dangerous</em>. Much to my great joy, their shimmery leads and emphatic solos on record match the sensually charged aura they exuded on stage. Standout tracks in the middle of these tight 38 minutes, “The Edge of Evil,” “Devil’s Child,” and later highlight “When the Twilight Meets the Dawn” showcase their enthusiastic fretwork best. In these, bright and ebullient melodies twist their forked tongues against the scalding flesh of heated solos and trotting riffs such that my attention never wavers from such carnal debauchery. Yet, Savage’s venomous wails and full-bodied belts still ring out with clarity, solidifying her role as the troupe’s merciless dominatrix (“The Edge of Evil,” “Never Ending Fire,” “I Never Wanna Fall in Love”). Adam Neal’s bass guitar offers fun bounce to that low-end counterpoint that juggles rhythmic duties with drummer John W. Littlejohn’s youthful gallops on the kit, maintaining ample momentum to keep <em>Dark & Dangerous</em> from losing any steam (“Never Ending Fire,” “When the Twilight Meets the Dawn”).</p><p>While it is evident that <strong>Savage Master</strong> clearly have a ton of fun writing and playing this well-worn variety of heavy metal, as many individual cuts on <em>Dark & Dangerous</em> fade out of memory as those which brand the gray matter for all time. Where bar-crawling rockers “Devil Rock” and “I Never Wanna Fall in Love” maximize the sweet and sticky hooks of 80s hair and glam, solidifying their eternal presence in my mind, other cuts like “Warrior’s Call,” “Black Rider,” and “Screams from the Cellar” fail to make any impression at all. These tracks follow a similar formula as stronger options like “The Edge of Evil,” but distinguishing characteristics or cleverly packaged writing come at a steep premium, squandering any chance of being remembered. Overblown ballad closer “Cold Hearted Death” attempts a slower and more somber number, but it, too, falls flat outside of its powerhouse chorus and satisfying final-third solo.</p><p>Perhaps most damning of all, at the core, <em>Dark & Dangerous</em> is an extremely simple, by-the-numbers affair. As fun as this record can be in the moment, it’s hard to argue that it competes well against standout contemporaries like <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tower-let-there-be-dark-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Tower</strong></a> or <strong>Saturday Night Satan</strong> in this competitive field. Several cuts off <em>Dark & Dangerous</em> are a shoo-in for any quality heavy metal playlist, but as an album, it’s but another point in the pentagram. Still, <strong>Savage Master</strong>’s fifth is worth a spin or two for a good time. And if you ever get the chance to see them live, don’t miss!</p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> Mixed<br><strong>DR:</strong> 8 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kb/s mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="https://shadowkingdomrecords.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Shadow Kingdom Records</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="http://savagemasterofficial.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">savagemasterofficial.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/savagemasterofficial" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/savagemasterofficial</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> March 28th, 2025</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2-5/" target="_blank">#25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/avatarium/" target="_blank">#Avatarium</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/bitch/" target="_blank">#Bitch</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/cirith-ungol/" target="_blank">#CirithUngol</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dark-dangerous/" target="_blank">#DarkDangerous</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/heavy-metal/" target="_blank">#HeavyMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar25/" target="_blank">#Mar25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/occult-metal/" target="_blank">#OccultMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/saturday-night-satan/" target="_blank">#SaturdayNightSatan</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/savage-master/" target="_blank">#SavageMaster</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/saxon/" target="_blank">#Saxon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/shadow-kingdom-records/" target="_blank">#ShadowKingdomRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/tower/" target="_blank">#Tower</a></p>