Tracks
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The noughties were a time of change of Jon Schaffer & Co. Although amicable, the departure of charismatic vocalist Matt Barlow, who went to (temporarily) pursue a career as a law enforcement officer in light of 9/11, left some pretty big shoes to fill.
Fortunately, there was another big gun for hire on the scene, and he was very experienced in filling big shoes. Maybe the biggest. Tim 'Ripper' Owens was the man who followed Halford in Priest, able to match the latter's incredible range with his own guttural vocal power. This, coupled with Schaffer's chugging riffing should have produced a match made in heaven but album results are varied.
Perhaps unsurprising for a first album with a changed line-up, the band seem to struggle in finding their 'voice'and fully coming together as a unit. Although held together by a common theme, the songs are hit and miss. There are instances of glorious brilliance such as 'Declaration Day', which builds to an epic crescendo showcasing Ripper's vocal chops - incidentally a song which the mighty Barlow struggled to reprise live following his return to the band for 2008's 'Crucible of Man'.
'Green Man' is Priest-esque and 'When the Eagle Cries' works as an emotive ballad which deals with the nation-scale tragedy of said 9/11 events. 'Attila' has Barlow's vocals, recorded prior to his departure, audible in the chorus and presents a nice taster of a Ripper/Barlow dream-team. The rest of the album, however, is just ok. Not bad, well performed and capably-produced but unexceptional and middle of the road, as far as power metal goes.
The subject matter makes a nice change from the pseudo-epic and sci-fi topics of previous albums, but this is shelved and does not make a re-appearance until 2017's 'Incorruptible'.
Fortunately, there was another big gun for hire on the scene, and he was very experienced in filling big shoes. Maybe the biggest. Tim 'Ripper' Owens was the man who followed Halford in Priest, able to match the latter's incredible range with his own guttural vocal power. This, coupled with Schaffer's chugging riffing should have produced a match made in heaven but album results are varied.
Perhaps unsurprising for a first album with a changed line-up, the band seem to struggle in finding their 'voice'and fully coming together as a unit. Although held together by a common theme, the songs are hit and miss. There are instances of glorious brilliance such as 'Declaration Day', which builds to an epic crescendo showcasing Ripper's vocal chops - incidentally a song which the mighty Barlow struggled to reprise live following his return to the band for 2008's 'Crucible of Man'.
'Green Man' is Priest-esque and 'When the Eagle Cries' works as an emotive ballad which deals with the nation-scale tragedy of said 9/11 events. 'Attila' has Barlow's vocals, recorded prior to his departure, audible in the chorus and presents a nice taster of a Ripper/Barlow dream-team. The rest of the album, however, is just ok. Not bad, well performed and capably-produced but unexceptional and middle of the road, as far as power metal goes.
The subject matter makes a nice change from the pseudo-epic and sci-fi topics of previous albums, but this is shelved and does not make a re-appearance until 2017's 'Incorruptible'.