I feel like I should apologize for not posting as much lately. It was a rough month for me (nothing major, though), and I was distracted by a certain Madness going around, so ended up not spending as much time listening to new music. Still, I was able to listen to a few albums, mainly catching up on some power metal releases.
Speaking of catching up, I'm still working my way through HammerFall's later albums, and this was next. Of course, it has much of the same heavy/power metal stylings as they always do, but I feel like this one is a little on the weaker side.
While the songs have great production and sound, most of the tracks felt incomplete, like they didn't really think them all the way through. I think one of the big things is the lyrics. Sure, HammerFall's lyrics aren't high poetry, but here they seem a little clunky and while Joacim Cans delivers them in his iconic style, they don't seem to click for me here. The topics are also more varied, ranging from the Vietnam War to Ragnarok to Paradise Lost, and while that's not a bad thing, necessarily, it does make the album feel a little less focused. Of course, there is still plenty to like, in particular the guitar work. Oscar Dronjak and Pontus Norgren play some really great stuff, not only providing some very chunky riffs, but the solos are really on point. Shifting between melodic passages and neo-classical shredding, their guitarwork is some of the best HammerFall has ever had.
As for the songs overall, there were a few that stood out. "Chain of Command" and "Testify" gets a little heavier towards Judas Priest territory, and "Dead by Dawn" is pretty dark, making me think of some of their material from Infected. However my favorites are "(We Make) Sweden Rock" a solid anthemic rocker, celebrating a country that has a great rock and metal music heritage, and "Scars of a Generation" another metal anthem that really goes big, especially on the chorus. It's not a bad album, but certainly on the weaker side compared to some of their others. Still, I'm all caught up and ready for the latest one!
Speaking of bands with an iconic, unchanging sound, Sabaton is back with another slab of World War I inspired tunes. Just like the last one, it features some pretty anthemic stompers, a few high speed stormers, and few bits of experimentation for good measure.
The first and last tracks "Sarajevo" and "Versailles" work as some interesting bookends for the album, featuring female narration instead of standard verses, with the choruses echoing each other and cementing some interesting themes. Otherwise, it's back to the triumphs and tragedies of war, with tracks like "Stormtroopers," "Dreadnaught," "The Unkillable Soldier," "Hellfighters," and "Race to the Sea." The ones that are a little different are "The Valley of Death," which has a strange, AOR-like uplifting vibe; "Soldier of Heaven," which is clearly an attempt at Beast-in-Black-style synth metal, and pulls it off quite well, I must say; and "Christmas Truce," which goes for a TSO-style somber epic. However, I do think these songs change things up nicely, making them the highlights of the album
There are a few stumbling blocks, though. The lyrics on "Hellfighters" seems a little uninspired, "Lady of the Dark" has this strange, groovy riff that breaks up the flow in a weird way, and the mixed-meter on "Race to the Sea" doesn't seem to gel quite right. Still, it's a solid album overall, from a band who are reliably consistent in their quality. While it certainly won't convert anyone who hasn't been on board before, it will find plenty of playtime from the fans who don't mind the formula the band has established.
After reviewing Ghost Opera nearly three years ago, I had planned to move on to this one rather quickly, but that didn't happen for one reason or another. It wasn't until now that I took the time to revisit what would be Roy Khan's last album. I remember feeling the same disappointment as I had with Ghost Opera when I heard this one back in 2010, and after all these years my opinion really hasn't changed. I'm not sure what may have convinced the band to go in this gothic symphonic direction, but I just don't think it really works.
Overall, this album just feels clunky. The songwriting seems to shift uneasily between symphonic flourishes, gothic moods, and weird proggy riffing. While Roy Khan is still performing well, some of his vocal melodies don't quite mesh with the songs from time to time, and I'm not sure why. I also think the riffing seems to be an attempt to get away from the power metal they've been doing, but Youngblood goes for this jarring, proggy style that doesn't quite gel with me. There are cameos a plenty, with Simone Simons from Epica returning once again to provide a counter to Khan's vocals, and they're pretty nice. While Ghost Opera was at least consistent, this album's quality tends to jump all over the place. And I wish that their four-part title track was just one 10-minute track.
There are some things I do like, though. "The Great Pandemonium" is a decent opener, "House on a Hill" is a solid ballad featuring Simons, "My Train of Thoughts" has some interesting mood shifts, and "Once Upon a Time" feels like a return to classic Kamelot, though still dark and moody. However, I admit when I first heard this, I was pretty down on it, and as a consequence, I hadn't really kept up with the band since. I had heard that Khan wasn't feeling well (which later turned out to be burnout) and after trying a few different vocalists, the band settled with Tommy Karevik of Seventh Wonder moving forward. I do plan on catching up on the newer records, though, and I'll be sure to post reviews for the albums I've missed when I get around to them. After all these years, I'm curious to see where they went from here, especially with a new singer.
I'm afraid there won't be a New Videos article for this month. I know I have plenty to check out, but I just haven't spent the time. I just need to get back into the groove. I'll still keep posting the Anniversary Series articles, and come up with more when I can. Until then, rock on! \m/
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