The one thing that strikes you listening to this album is a keen desire to hear what they are going to come up with next. There is talent there in spades, and a keen sense of songcraft; a bit more originality would not go amiss however. This is probably one of the best British heavy rock releases this year.
Pharaoh: Be Gone
This lot truly admire Iced Earth but are not mere copyists by any means. Galloping guitars combine with some clever musicianship to produce quite an enjoyable power metal album. To me it strikes me as more American power metal style to that of Helloween or Gamma Ray. Tracks flow nicely and there is not one cringe-worthy turkey to be had. If you are a fan of power metal then this lot are worth seeking out as they do what they do very well. I think its a case of watch this space. This might be the release to move them up to the big leagues.
Mar De Grises: Dreaming the Waterheart
The album name probably sounded better in Spanish. As do some of their song names which are quite bizarre. This is symphonic-electro death metal at its best. Sweeping soundscapes with the growling death metal vocals drifting in every so often but never making a nuisance of themselves. This album is far more musically driven, than lyrically driven. No matter as there is an endearing quality to the whole thing. It's nice to hear a band trying something different and not sounding cookie-cutter.
There is a hint of Opeth and Anathema here and the song lengths lend themselves to feeling this is meant to be epic. This lot have fully grasped the concept that bog-standard death-metal is getting old and it's time to take the genre to new places. Ignore the daft names of the tracks and just enjoy. You won't be disappointed.
Daylight Dies: Lost to the Living
It came in a plain yellow wrapper with little information on it. The band name not giving a very good hint to what the band have in store. The label, Candlelight, is a clue. Epic, deep, heavy prog is what is on offer here, with death metal vocals along for the ride. This lot clearly have taken Opeth to their bosom and that is no bad thing. Variation, subtlety and nuance abound despite the heavy nature of the music. Acoustic breaks and heartfelt sung vocals mix nicely betwixt the heaviness.
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