It's seriously one of the most inconsistent albums I can think of. You'd think that those early USPM albums were just about metal-till-you-drop but no. There's also one song on the album with harsh vocals that don't make things much better, either!

Anyway, I've been getting a huge kick out of Cauldron Born, Vicious Rumors, Sacred Oath and Heir Apparent lately.

"Holy" is a praise song.

Ity's not like anything else on the album.

Drop it and I think you have unquestionably a great album from start to finish. So in that regard it's not inconsistent, it just has one song as an outlier.

Some other songs are bad too, I'm afraid. ''Beyond the Mountain'' lacks some real bite and is more fluffy happily sing along stuff. ''Unfailing Love'' reminds me that some bands just aren't made to do ballads. ''Paradise'' has those Iron Maiden dual-leads-gone-wrong and ''The Flood'' is hilarious with harsh vocals that you'd expect from mid-90's melodic death metal instead - no thanks!

It's always a good time for CB. \m/ \m/

"Unfailing Love" is sappy but not bad per se.

"Paradise" is an excellent song. One of my friends who loves death metal and black metal really loves that song too.

"The Flood" to me is not a real song, just a fun "jam" among friends in the scene so I don't score it the same.

"Beyond the Mountain" is also very good.

I prefer the heavier tracks in general too, but softer melodic metal can be great too if done well while staying away from generic patterns.

BTW I checked out that first Pharaoh song and .... yeah .... the riffs and guitar patterns are just so generic to me. It's part Maiden (but not their best riffs) and part Euro-flower metal, at least in the guitar playing.

I like Aymar's voice a lot but just think he fits better in Psycho Scream. The music on that release was a lot more interesting to my ears.

I appreciate the recommendations though. This band is just not for me.

I got back into Argus in a big way and whoa! This way way better than I remember. There are doomy tendencies but lots of classic NWOBHM sounds, Thin Lizzy (a lot of Lizzy!), classic rock galore etc. Great band and I do not know why I overlooked them.

interesting. When I think Euro-flower, I immediately think of the fast palm-muted stuff (Usually with prominent keys) that bands like Sonata Arctica and Rhapsody are known for. Pharaoh sounds like an entirely different beast to me, but opinions and all that.

Yeah, I don't get a Euro-flower power vibe from Pharaoh at all. I get much more of a muscular German power metal sound from them, albeit in a very slick and modernized package. I'd also say that their songwriting is quite a bit more involved and detailed than a lot of the modern sounding power metal bands, which places them above a generic descriptor for me.

Fun speed metal from China, some pretty nice riffs on this, nice chunky production, great bass. Vocals are...whatever, but it's speed metal.

Dressed to Kill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YJ3VMjwL5Q

I tried to get into this but it did not grab me in any way. The vocals are not a problem it just sounds unremarkable compared to say the new Diabolic Night.

I linked that album earlier. The first song is fun, but the rest not so much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvstQaJcDgw

New stuff from Crystal Eyes - old school power metal that has been moving in a more traditional, Dio-Sabbath kind of vein for years now. Digging this. Just unpretentious, ass-kicking stuff.

This album was always my favorite by them. Just my kind of shit.

I never got into this band. I do not know why - something about them sounded like flowery, Euro-style stuff. This new track is not that but...I don't know. Something is lacking there.

Their brand of power metal with that smooth, heavy guitar tone and that kind of just a little gruff but hyper melodic vocal style is basically exactly what I like.

I think it just lacks a little more oomph and power in the riffage. The melodic ideas are good and the execution is pretty spot on but I would prefer for it be a little more driving and pedal-to-the-metal.

Been listening to Beyond The Martyrs. Pretty good tbh.

I tried the first Sacred Warrior album and the first few tracks seem alright. I was convinced this would be a much more consistent album than the one that followed but then it the ballad appeared and the cringe factor went up a 100%. Seriously, how do you go from

to

????

Their last one "From Fields Of Fire" is also pretty great. Good vocals too!

Yeah, the vocals are the highlight for sure. Will check that one later thanks.

Also, what is the general opinion on the new Atlantean Kodex now? I was a bit underwhelmed when I listened to it but only gave it a couple of spins.

I wasn't into Argus last time I tried - pretty boring to me.

New Atlantean Kodex is spectacular. It's kind of a lot, being so long and much of it a bit slower paced, but the writing is fantastic and they're really pushing things forward with every album.

Shit, I've been revisiting Skullview's debut and it seriously captures the essence of a band you don't want to mess with. The raspy vocals wail over booming riffs and that guitar tone is one of the heaviest I can think of as far as heavy/power metal goes.

The first song has an intro that could be a death metal intro while the riff at 4:15 seems to lifted straight off Awaken the Guardian.



This one's more instant.



I also like how fucking Bolt Thrower are on their similar artist page.

So I've just stumbled upon a band that blew me away called Twilight Kingdom. Think of debut-era Dream Theater if they were a bit more USPM oriented, with much better vocals and choruses that would make most Euro power metal bands envious.

https://fullcircle2.bandcamp.com/album/ ... e-guardian

Track 2 and 5 should give a good impression.