LORRAINE CROSS - Army Of Shadows
October 20, 2016, 7 years ago
(Mighty Music)
French metalers Lorraine Cross combine traditional metal, NWOBHM, German speed metal and US hard rock influences on its debut full-length release, Army Of Shadows. Formed in 2012, Lorraine Cross hasn’t had a lot of exposure thus far, mostly in North America. But the band has the look and drive with the spirit of bands such as Running Wild, Helloween, Iron Maiden and ’80s trad metal in general. Opener “Sharpshooter” is swathed in Maiden-worship guitar harmonies and chugging trad metal riffs. It’s not the most explosive of opening tracks, especially at 6-plus minutes, but it ’s not a bad start to the album. The militaristic snare drum marching of “Black Infantry” turns into galloping Maiden rhythms with fiery Accept-like riffs.
Vocalist Tony has the look and attitude of a bona fide rock star, sort of like a younger Bruce Dickinson, but he isn’t quite there yet. His mostly falsetto voice is a bit screeching at certain points, but yet serviceable for this type of music. Ballad “Die In Your Arms” slows things down with its over longish time frame while “Target Locked” contains mid-paced Maiden-esque gallops and battle-ready Manowar gang chants. The Helloween-like riffing of “At Close Range” is complimented by the thunderous rhythm section and anthemic chorus. The tunes aren’t too technical and are rather standard fare with predictable song structures. Army Of Shadows contains no surprises with just a few memorable moments. Maybe the fact that at 12 tracks and 54 minutes in duration, it’s a bit too much to absorb. However, if you’re looking for paint by numbers trad metal, then Army Of Shadows will do the trick.