Saturday, September 2, 2017

Binary Creed - A Battle Won






Sometimes, it takes a while to discover or uncover music just due to the sheer amount available. What I'm trying to get at, is that this isn't debut album and when "A Battle Won" landed on my desk, it was the first time I have heard Swedish ban
d, Binary Creed but I'm sure I can be forgiven since the band formed in 2013 and this album is only their second. Binary Creed sit firmly in the Progressive Power Metal box.

Singer Andreas Stoltz sins in a operatic style that brings Michael Kiske from Helloween to mind. A number of tracks remind me of Helloween but Binary Creed take themselves more seriously lyrically than early Helloween took themselves. There's a touch of Geoff Tate to Stoltz's vocals on "In A Time to Come". The song is slow and allows the vocals to shine but also features a great guitar solo finally fading out with keyboards. The song's follow up "The Fallen King"is a wall of metallic power metal which is propelled along with both strong vocals and a heavy guitar sound with the drummer keeping the beat as the band all move in direction together.



"The Ones to Bleed"is a catchy mid-tempo head nodding rocker. "A Better Man" starts with some rocking out distortion but slows down to power ballad speed. There are moments where Stoltz goes a little Ronnie James Dio but ends up deciding Kiske is more his style. It does suit him but it would have been nice to hear the man and maybe the entire band go full Dio . "These Hands"is reminiscent of Kamelot's style of power metal with a slightly laid back yet still showy approach to the singer's vocal talents.

Binary Creed are clearly great musicians and showcase their talent but they do sound a little too much like other bands rather than having their own distinct sound. However, power and progressive metal fans will lap this album up.

3/5

Release Date: September 9 2017


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Friday, September 1, 2017

Necromancers -Servants Of The Salem Girl






France's Necromancers appeared out of thin air and are blowing away a number of reviewers with their debut album, "Servant's of the Salem Girl". The band are signed to Ripple Music, who are knowledgeable people in the type of music that Necromancers play. So exactly what type of music do these young French guys play? Their sound is hard rock/heavy metal with a heavy touch of the 70's era. For those looking for band comparisons, the track, Lucifer's Kin had me thinking of Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats and Trouble so think psychedelic Black Sabbath.

Although some will insist it's pure Black Sabbath, "Black Marble House"is reminiscent of the softer side of early Stray and Wishbone Ash due to guitar sound and the harmonies. Check the video out.

Necromancers contains lyrics about voices from the past and takes in NWOBM plus a smidgen of early Danzig style blues/hard rock. There's a doomy side to Grand Orbitor but Necromancers combine the slow paced with chest-beating traditional metal and this elevates the doom and a very strong tune smacks the listener right in the face.

Servants of the Salem Girl is a great debut album and it's very easy to understand why Ripple Music signed them as they fit the sound the label has and the band are clearly high grade songwriters and musicians. If there is a complaint to be found, it's that due to the variety of styles in the six song on the album, it's not clear that Necromancers have stamped their own identifiable identity with their sound. I suspect that it will become easier to identify this band among the herd of soundalike bands in the hard rock/metal/stoner rock genre. Hear this album soon!

4/5


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Beastwars - IV

After over a year off for various reasons, we have returned solely because we wanted to review the new Beastwars album. I really w...