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Review:
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Holyhell are a new American band that is a cross between
the symphonic power metal of Nightwish and Rhapsody, mixed
with a touch of Within Temptation gothic. All three are
massive favourites of mine, so I�m in for a treat. Lead
singer Maria Breon has an awesome set of pipes, reminiscent
at times of Within Temptation�s Sharon Den Adel. She is
joined by a crew of outstanding musicians, including one
of the world�s top shredders, Joe Stump, who thankfully
keeps himself under control, but when he lets rip, boy can
he shred. Production by Manowar�s Joey DeMaio is top notch,
creating an epic, powerful symphonic metal sound. ****
The album is based on a theme of �Mankind�s Struggle
for Good against Evil�. It kicks off with a brace of power
metal anthems before �Revelations� takes it down a notch.
�Eclipse� is co-written by David Feinstein (who was in Elf
with Ronnie James Dio, and live they do a version of his
Holy Diver) and is a song Rainbow would be proud of. �The
Fall� is a Meat Loaf style ballad, and then �Angel of Darkness�,
full of gothic power and menace, that really shows off Maria�s
power, range and versatility. �Holy Water� is an outstanding
speed metal anthem, followed by a showcase for keyboard
player Francisco Palomo, which lets your brain recover from
the frantic head-banging. Power metal �Gates of Hell� is
followed by �Resurrection�, a Godgory cover (Swedish death
metal band) which has been turned into a gothic power ballad.
The next two songs Rhapsody would be proud of, not surprising
since they are co-written by Manuel Staropoli, the flute
playing brother of Rhapsody keyboardist Alex. The album
finishes with the suitably epic, and tiled, �Armageddon�.
****
Holyhell really belong in the premier league, this
is top quality musicianship, song writing and production.
The CD is beautifully packaged (the case is a fantastic
idea) and is a must buy for all fans of powerful symphonic
metal. Available from all the normal retailers.
9.5 out of 10
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