Music Review: Meat Loaf

For popular musicians, with age comes an interesting phenomenon-they fall off the public radar and are suddenly greeted with lower expectations. Thus, if one were casually to mention that Meat Loaf was putting out a new album, one might be met with questions such as "Who?" and "Isn't he dead?" (The answers being, An iconic actor and musician still topping the charts in Europe, and No, he is not dead.) Despite Meat Loaf's popular perception as a has-been, Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose is actually a very impressive piece of musicianship. The harmonies, chords, instrumentation and melodies are exceedingly gorgeous and reminiscent of a rock musical. Considering that Meat Loaf started his career in theater, the lasting influence is understandable. The mere mention of his name may inspire giggles, and the outlandish lyrics make reference to butchers, bats and monsters. But this album is sure to be a guilty pleasure for anyone who enjoys a great Broadway show.