Title: UNLEASHED / KAMELOT - Vinyl Reissues
metal4life - March 26, 2009 07:08 PM (GMT)
UNLEASHED / KAMELOT - Vinyl Reissues
The latest installment of the SPV / Steamhammer 25th birthday celebrations, and it's more metal mayhem with this set.
UNLEASHED - Hammer Battalions
Unleashed have been pounding out Viking death metal for two decades now, so when this came out last year, I was amazed at the power, potency and malevolence that ran through songs like the anti-Christian tracts 'The Greatest Of All Lies' and 'Long Before Winters Call', and the metal call to arms of the title track.
Now, it sounds even better, as it appears on vinyl, although what I would have given for a full on 2LP release! Even so, the urge to lift my battle axe and start cleaving grows stronger with every play. A bona fide classic, replete with gatefold sleeve.
Buy @ Amazon
KAMELOT - The Black Halo
As delighted as I was to see "Ghost Opera" coming out on heavy duty vinyl, nothing could prepare me for the sheer, unadulterated pleasure of placing my needle in the groove, and having 'March Of Mephisto' blaring from the speakers! It's the kind of thing that almost makes life worth living.
This release is probably my favourite so far, as it's presented in 2LP fashion, with the glorious artwork spread across the gatefold an inner sleeves. It's a thing of utter beauty and I've spent almost as much time looking at it, as I have playing it.
Some of Kamelots best songs so far, are here, with the aforementioned 'March', 'Soul Society' and, of course, 'Memento Mori' amongst the finest prog / power metal crossover tunes you are ever likely to hear. Based loosely on Goethe's "Faust", this is the kind of thing that metal was invented for.
Sadly, there is no number bigger than 5 on the ratings scale, but if there were a 6, this would get it. Absolutely awesome.
Buy @ Amazon
© Stuart A Hamilton
Rating ***** (5.0/5.0)
The latest installment of the SPV / Steamhammer 25th birthday celebrations, and it's more metal mayhem with this set.
UNLEASHED - Hammer Battalions
Unleashed have been pounding out Viking death metal for two decades now, so when this came out last year, I was amazed at the power, potency and malevolence that ran through songs like the anti-Christian tracts 'The Greatest Of All Lies' and 'Long Before Winters Call', and the metal call to arms of the title track.
Now, it sounds even better, as it appears on vinyl, although what I would have given for a full on 2LP release! Even so, the urge to lift my battle axe and start cleaving grows stronger with every play. A bona fide classic, replete with gatefold sleeve.
Buy @ Amazon
KAMELOT - The Black Halo
As delighted as I was to see "Ghost Opera" coming out on heavy duty vinyl, nothing could prepare me for the sheer, unadulterated pleasure of placing my needle in the groove, and having 'March Of Mephisto' blaring from the speakers! It's the kind of thing that almost makes life worth living.
This release is probably my favourite so far, as it's presented in 2LP fashion, with the glorious artwork spread across the gatefold an inner sleeves. It's a thing of utter beauty and I've spent almost as much time looking at it, as I have playing it.
Some of Kamelots best songs so far, are here, with the aforementioned 'March', 'Soul Society' and, of course, 'Memento Mori' amongst the finest prog / power metal crossover tunes you are ever likely to hear. Based loosely on Goethe's "Faust", this is the kind of thing that metal was invented for.
Sadly, there is no number bigger than 5 on the ratings scale, but if there were a 6, this would get it. Absolutely awesome.
Buy @ Amazon
© Stuart A Hamilton
Rating ***** (5.0/5.0)