Tracks
1. Monster (Flotsam & Jetsam)
2. Remember Tomorrow(Iron Maiden)
3. Blitzkrieg ( Blitzkrieg)
4. Battery ( Metallica)
5. I am a Viking (Malmsteen)
6. Eyes of the Lost (A.R.P.)
7. Toranaga – Sword of Damocles Cover Tribute

Band:
Y.O.C. - Vocals
Mr.D – Bass, Guitar
Ufuk – Drums

Discography:
The Alone Project (2000)
Satan's Child (2001)
Thy Kingdom (2003)
The Pit (2003)
demos (2003)
Slows (2003)
Lost (2003)
The Sanity Within (2004)
Thrash A'head (2004)
Undead (2004)
Data Shit (2004)
Attakker's Best of... Y.O.C. (2005)
Y.O.C. Sings Megadeth (2006)
Covers 2003-2006 (2006)
The Metal Warrior part I (2007)

Guests:
Kaya - solo on Battery
Toygar - Solo on Remember Tomorrow

Info
Produced by Y.O.C.
Recorded and Engineered by Mr. D

Released 2011
Reviewed 14/9-2011

Links:
www.speed-n-power.com/band/Y.O.C./
myspace
more myspace
reverb nation
youtube

As I am always drawn to things that defer from the common, things that is different I can’t help being interested when I notice music from nations we usually don’t see much music from, like Turkey. That is where this band called YOC are from, the singer is the one called YOC and then he has a band alongside him. It is a band I have never heard of, not before I received this padded envelope from Turkey that is. Well, actually when i had opened the envelope after having it scanned in my strengthened basket made for scanning letters to detect chemicals made for making bombs, it is an equipment that comes to good use here as you probably have no idea how many bombs we receive in the mail. Anyway, there was no bomb in the letter from Turkey, instead there was a CD with a hideous looking cover, not in a scary sense just bad looking but that would probably be because they have just printed it on cheap copy paper. It is called Metal Warrior Part 2 this CD, and even if they have printed on the top of the disk I notice that they have burnt it themselves in their computer most likely.

Anyway, the disk is a collection of covers from which band the songs are you can see to your left (terrible english in that sentence but who’ll notice?). The songs are from quite different styled bands from different parts of the metal/hardrock world, which makes for a good variation to take off from and that remains even if YOC adds an own touch to these songs. Their style is somewhere in the borderland between heavy metal and thrash metal, song style is more towards the thrash for instance, it is heavy more like heavy metal and the production is raw like a back to basic late 80s thrash metal album. The songs are seven if you count them and they will warrant a playing time of 35 minutes, no track on the album is written by the band themselves but the album is produced and marketed by them.

I enjoy covers and I have always done that, it is always fun to hear how bands interpret songs by inspirational artists, idols or just another take on a known song. But I also like it to be a band that you get to know themselves before you hear the cover, YOC has done own material but if you do visit the site that is liked on top of the external links you will find that they are about as many as the covers, but at least you can hear them at this place. I think covers are a good way to fill out an album, but not make one. And I would have like to have more own material by YOC to really relate to these songs.

There are some other minor things as well, I do not think this style suit some of the songs that well, and I am not really that fond of the singer when he sings in a slower pace, he should go on in a faster pace like in Battery as he sounds much better there. Then there is his pronunciation that annoy me a at times, it is Viking, not Wiking, he seem to be pronouncing all Vs as Ws which is a bit annoying, wonder if the lyrics are written that way in the booklet. But sure there are some tunes I like as well, Remember Tomorrow maybe the best Iron Maiden song cannot be made bad even if the original is better than this cover, the cover is still very good. Then we have Blitzkrieg where he sings faster and that just works better and the song becomes good in this fashion as well, and the ending track TORANGA is also good. Still, it does feel like I am missing something original, something by YOC themselves.

These seven covers is a good curiosity but it would be much better as a bonus disc on some album by the band instead, then it would be a great thing, now it feels just like something not really needed, or wanted. Still the songs are alright so not complaining about that.

HHHHHHH

Label: Independent
Three similar bands: Flotsam & Jetsam/Iron Maiden/Metallica
Rating: HHHHHHH (3/7)
Reviewer: Daniel Källmalm