Okay, well after that almost epiphanic experience with Amaseffer (you didn't feel an epiphany? I definitely felt an epiphany. And let me tell you, I know an epiphany when I feel it. Unless that was just wind. Maybe I shouldn't have had that double cheeseburger), let's try to come down to earth a little with some good old power metal.
Star of Delusive Hopes --- Desert --- 2011 (Sleaszy Rider Music)
Kind of an odd title for a power metal album you would think, but it's a powerful rocking start as we open on “The unsubdued”, with great keyboards and guitar but the vocal is odd; sort of like a mixture of Eldritch from The Sisters of Mercy and Nick Cave, then he goes into a scream and then a sort of high-pitched almost female voice. I say he, because I can only see one vocalist credited, and it's Alexei Raymar. I therefore have to assume he has one hell of a vocal range, unless there are other singers performing here who haven't been noted. A great start though and both Max Schafranski and Sergei Nemichenitser on the guitars do a great job. The self-sacrifice of the zealots who held the fortress at Masada and committed suicide rather than surrender is commemorated in “Massada will never fall”, some great keys from Oleg Aryutkin leading the song in, and it marches along on the twin guitars.
Very anthemic, very power metal, stirring and defiant, with a very progressive keyboard passage and growled vocals as the lyric reaches its end, the song running on for about another minute on instrumental, and into what appears to be a pirate song. “Letter of marque” hurtles in on some really exciting percussion from Zohar Telor, then slows down to that marching beat that characterised the previous track, with a battle chorus that would no doubt delight fans of Alestorm and other pirate metal bands. Strange kind of thing happens in the last minute or so. It stops, ends, and then there's the sound of a crowd in a pub I guess, some talking, and then another song, like a sea chanty, starts and melds into the main song. Weird!
A dark voice then intones the opening to “Victim of the light”, while choral vocals breathe in the background before the guitars cut in and take the tune. Some nice piano in this near the end, accompanied by a very powerful vocal, taking it to a pretty explosive conclusion, a little chaotic if I'm honest. Kind of goes all over the place. “Release me” then is the first ballad, feels like it has some sort of folk/ethnic influences, nice use of bells in the song, and it builds up to a fine keyboard solo from Aryutkin, while “Soul of a wanderer” has a beautiful piano intro, soon kicked into life though by the two axemen with a really nice little bassline from Sergei Dimitrik. I'm sure I hear female vocals again here.
“Whispers” opens with a spoken piece, which may be a quote from something, I'm not sure, then after a hard guitar intro it breaks down into soft piano and bass with a demonstration of the amazing vocal range of Alexei Raymar, who seems to be able to do three separate and very different styles of singing, which led me to believe there was more than one vocalist. However, after reading some reviews I have confirmed he is the only one, bar one collaboration, yet to come. It's another powerful song, this one, with very definite elements of dark gothic metal overlaying the basic power structure, thunderous drumming and high-pitched choral vocals presumably coming from the fingers of Aryutkin on the keyboard.
That duet of which I spoke is next, as Sabaton vocalist Joakin Broden joins Raymar for the epic “Lament for soldier's glory (Order 227)”, which could very well be their classic. Not epic in length --- it only runs for four and a half minutes --- but certainly in scope and execution, and the joint effort by these two powerful singers really underlines the song's excellence. Not to be forgotten of course are the two guitar men, and Aryutkin as usual stamps his own unique identity on the music. And that leaves us with only one track before we close. It's the title, and it's a powerful, anthemic closer, bringing to a finish a really quite excellent album.
TRACKLISTING
1. The Unsubdued
2. Massada will never fall
3. Letter of marque
4. Victim of the light
5. Release me
6. Soul of a wanderer
7. Whispers
8. Lament for soldier's glory (Order 227)
9. Star of delusive hopes
This being Desert's debut album it's a powerful statement of intent, and indeed they have a new one out this year, entitled
No Regrets. I'd be quite interested in hearing that, if I ever get a chance. Not the messianic experience that Amaseffer was, but then, I didn't expect it to be; but neither was it a comedown after that particular trip. Sterling stuff, and needs to be heard by more people.