STEEL ENGRAVED - Steel Engraved
March 20, 2019, 5 years ago
(ROAR! Rock Of Angels)
Germanic power metal sextet and on album #3, Steel Engraved asked countryman Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear) to produce the vocals and lend his considerable pipes to “Searching For Regret”, one of the baker's dozen on the eponymous disc.
While they can't deny their Teutonic musical heritage, the smooth vocals with keyboard swept underpinning and slightly modern outlook, are closer to Kamelot than most of their contemporaries. The brooding, mid-tempo plod of “The Oppressed Will Fly” recalls some of Jorn's material. “Slave To Yourself” is more chaotic (and frenetic) than most, with a second, spoken vocal (sort of like a megaphone announcement) atop the regular track. “Nightwarriors”, slotted at #5 is the first real clickety-clack, buzzing guitar German power metal cut. Well done. The syncopated (almost Goth dance) “One By One” is the anomaly. Having experimented, they settle back into what they do best (i.e. a style similar to Thomas Youngblood's Floridian clan), witness: “Your Inner Self” and especially “Close Your Eyes”. Lazy “All That Lies Below” closer, at 5:37 (the longest track on the album) is a bit much. A little pruning would have made a more cohesive effort, with greater impact.
