JUSTIN’S ROCK REVIEWS W/C 18/6/07

 

IRON SAVIOR / MEGATROPOLIS

 

This is the German Power Metal bands 8^th album and I’m pleased to say its business as usual, wall to wall power chords, intelligent lyrics with a Science Fiction slant on them and the thunderous pounding of the double bass drums.

 

The album is a loose concept album that takes its inspiration from the classic Sci-Fi film Metropolis only give a serious update and this helps the songs have a cohesion and a special mention has to go to the drummer Thomas Nack who drives the songs on at such a pace he really is the powerhouse for the band and Piet Seilck’s vocals are so good they remind me of Graham Bonnet at times, right from the opening salvo of “Running Riot” the band don’t let up the pace and this track is a statement of intent.

 

This band just keep getting better and personally this is better than the last Primal Fear album, if you haven’t caught on to this band yet, where the hell have you been, listen out for; the fantastic “Flesh”, the gamers anthem “Cyber Hero”, “Omega Man” and the excellent title track, all will be n my HFM & Pipeline shows.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.ironsavior.com/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 46 mins + 9 TRACKS

 

ENTOMBED / SERPANT SAINTS

 

Its been a year since the Sodom E.P. came out but at long last the new album is here and thankfully they are on to form, their unique brand of Rot & Roll is steeped with the smell of death and decay and we wouldn’t have them any other way.

 

The CD kicks off in fine style with the title tracks that starts off with an acoustic guitar but don’t worry the Swedes haven’t gone sort on us, just lulling you into a false sense of security before launching the death blow, this is swiftly followed by “Masters Of Death” which is a tribute to Death Metal and mentions quite a few bands including a name check for Napalm Death, it has a killer riff and the drives along like their lives depend on it. The track “Kingdom Come” is just as good and “War, Plague, Famine, Death” is Entombed at their best, they haven’t sounded as good as this for a decade and that’s good news to the die hard fan.

 

A fine return to the fold, Rot & Roll is here to stay and the foul smell of Death Metal is in the air.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.entombed.com/

 

TOTAL PLAY8NG TIME = 42 mins + 10 TRACKS

 

CANDLEMASS / KING OF THE GREY ISLANDS

 

No one was more pleased than me when Candlemass reformed with Messiah back on vocals 2 years ago and my heart sank when I heard the news earlier this years that he had left the band for a second time, what would the replacement be like, would it be like when he left the first time, would the band be a shadow of their former glory but I needn’t have worried.

 

The new guy is Robert Lowe and from his previous band had no doubt of his ability, it was will he fit in the Candlemass sound as well as Messiah and I am very pleased to say he fits in perfectly, his voice and style are different but not as different as say black Sabbath with Ozzy and Dio and when the doom laden strains of “Devil Seed” come flowing from the speakers all doubts are blown away.  The epic, Doom Metal is just as good as it ever was and when you hear “Of Stars And Smoke” and “Destroyer” you can’t fail to be impressed.

 

I was really concerned about this CD but the power of Doom Metal has won the day and Rob has done a fine job fitting in perfectly and the good thing is he isn’t Messiah and doesn’t try to be and the band still sound just like Candlemass, a minor miracle and that’s good enough for me.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.candlemass.se/ & http://www.nuclearblast.de/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 55 mins + 10 Epic TRACKS