Nuclear Messiah and Rick Wakeman Collide With 'Dice & Thunder'

(Cleopatra Records) Rick Wakeman has recorded with some of the greatest legends in rock history - David Bowie, Lou Reed, Cat Stevens, Al Stewart... Yes, of course, Elton John, and both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne.

His latest excursion, however, might well be the heaviest record he has ever performed on. "Dice And Thunder," the latest single by all-star metal/prog aggregation Nuclear Messiah, sees Wakeman join forces with Megadeth maestro Chris Poland, Steve Di Giorgio (Testament), Rainbow frontman Ronnie Romero, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Bumblefoot), and Fred Aching (Dead Groove, Kings of Thrash, BulletBoys), for three minutes of blistering, seething mayhem.

A sonic detonation that could crack the sky, "Dice and Thunder" is a driving skull-splitter - and with Poland's screaming guitar to the fore, how could it not be?

But Wakeman's keys give as good as they get, igniting the carnage with a portentous overture, and embedding themselves so deep inside the performance that, even as his organ leads the track to its fade, you should be cueing it up to blaze again.

A thunderous all-star concept set, the full Nuclear Messiah album is called Black Flame - and how appropriate is that? The God of Hellfire himself, Arthur Brown, starred on Nuclear Messiah's first single, a cover of Lucifer's Friend's classic "Ride The Sky," before Christmas; and the new year opened with the incendiary title track, "Black Flame" itself.

Like that track, "Dice and Thunder" is a Chris Poland original and, for anyone schooled in the art of Megadeth's most combustible albums, you can already guess what that means.

The heart of Nuclear Messiah, Poland's melodic fluidity, experimental phrasing, and sheer command of tone, have inspired generations. From Megadeth's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? to his work in OHM and Damn the Machine, Poland's guitar sound remains one of the most distinctive in modern music.

"Chris isn't just a guitarist - he's a spirit of sound," says Brian Perera, Cleopatra's founder and the album's executive producer. "Nuclear Messiah was built around his brilliance and brought to life by an army of legends who share his passion and precision."

Poland isn't the only Megadeath-er in sight, either. Elsewhere on the album, we hear from Marty Friedman, David Ellefson, Shawn Drover, Glen Drover (guitar) and Chris Adler (drums), alongside 30 more metal and prog legends, truly the greatest - and heaviest - ensemble ever gathered for one single project.

Black Flame itself is released on April 24. For now, roll the dice and crash with the thunder, because Nuclear Messiah demand nothing less.

Nuclear Messiah and Rick Wakeman Collide With 'Dice & Thunder'

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