Wait, didn’t I just do a Badlands review a couple of days ago? Yes I did, but now comes the confusing part, “Alexandrian Age” is Badlands’ newest album but just a week before that release another Badlands comes out entitled “Ruins Of The Legends” comes out. That’s a whole lot of full-length albums coming out in one week, but here’s the story behind it.

 

In 2007 Badlands vocalist / guitarist Victor started up a side-project with Razorblade members called Soultamer. As you all know this band also included Joost who formerly sang in legendary Dutch streetcore / Oi! band Discipline. Prior to Joost’s addition to the band recorded eight demo tracks with Victor singing everything instead of the dual vocals between him and Joost on the final product. Recently these demo tapes were found again by labelboss Wouter (who is one of the Razorblade members on these recordings) and after an initial “digital only” release it’s now here on CD (and maybe LP in the future?) too by high demand of the fans.

 

Because altough I have the original Soultamer CD as well this album just breaths Badlands through and through and altough musicwise not much has changed on these earlier demo recordings the sound is totally different with just Victor singing these songs. I love Joost’s voice in Discipline, and I loved the final CD of Soultamer as well, it always felt like to had to hold back singing on that record because his voice wouldn’t fit too well in the whole. This doesn’t apply on these recordings on “Ruin Of The Legends”, Victor can go all out with his voice and this does this record and these songs only but good.

 

I mentioned the word demo in my review a couple of times, but don’t let that mislead you. These tracks are of high studio quality and weren’t recorded in a basement or practice space. I found the old review I did of the original record back in 2007 and called it “brilliant” and I still think it is. Technically this is still top of the crop and with Victor singing it all it just got better which make these recordings still stand their ground seven years after their recordings!