MAD HATTER – Mad Hatter
May 23, 2018, 6 years ago
(Art Gates)
Power metal album of the year? Maybe too early to tell, but it will most assuredly be the debut of the year. Mad Hatter is the call back to the glory days of power metal when the likes of Stratovarius, Blind Guardian and all the rest were starting to make their mark in the late-'90s. This is splendidly played high octane metal with memorable songs, mesmerizing leads, and lead singer who sounds like the bastard child of Geoff Tate and Tobias Sammet. The two main players are no newbies by any means as vocalist Petter Hjerpe and guitarist Eric Rauti are involved with the bands Morning Dwell and Dreamland respectively.
Right from the get-go “Mad Hatter Shine” hits in with a Helloween “Halloween” type vibe going through multiple tempo changes and not afraid to lead an album with an 8+ minute track. Mad Hatter keeps skipping along with no frills soaring power metal. Try not to sing-along to “The Gunslinger” or the marching “Phantom Riders”. No need for any ballads on this ride! Any band can try to replicate the grandiose sounds of Helloween or early-Edguy and the other greats, but if you can’t create vocal lines and guitar parts to latch onto then the game is lost. Mad Hatter succeeds in all categories and it’s astounding to hear perfectly executed power metal. Listen to “Vengeance In His Mind” for some true riffing or a track with a more of a dark vibe in “Go”. Hope this album doesn’t fly under the radar. This is a must listen!
