Hello all, I’ve been inactive on here for several months now, pursuing other ventures. One of them is my Youtube content, which I have been working on diligently. So to try something different this year, I made my Favorite album of the year list into an interactive video. It’s sort of reminiscent (or at least a homage to) of the old “Pop up videos” on VH1 that I loved to watch as a kid and even into my teens. I am desperately trying to get away from being a critic, and being more personal and educational about Metal. I just don’t want to be another opinion on the internet. I want to connect with people. I want to break barriers and stereotypes within the metal community. I want to abolish elitism in Metal. The true goal of my content is to share with people my music discoveries, not to critique albums. I really dislike reviewing and reading reviews. This “ErinMetal” channel allows me to be myself and share the amazing new Renaissance of Music that we’ve entered in the past decade.
There’s so much yet to be discovered outside of the mainstream music, and I will continue to share what I find. Please check out my “Favorite Rock and Metal Albums of 2024” countdown video below. And, I want to know your favorite albums of the year as well! Thank you so much for reading, watching, and interacting with my content. I want to grow this into an inclusive community, and you can be a part of that.
Modern Symphonic Metal Icons KAMELOT Announce North American “Kamelot: Awaken The World Tour 2024”
Featuring Support from HammerFall and AD INFINITUM
Beginning April 25 in Baltimore, MD | Tickets On Sale Friday, January 19
New KAMELOT Album, The Awakening, Out Now | Order HERE[photo credit: Tom Couture] Modern heavy symphonic metal leaders KAMELOT continue to celebrate their latest top-charting full-length album, The Awakening, in grandiose style! Today, the band is thrilled to announce their upcoming North American “Kamelot: Awaken The World Tour 2024”, featuring direct support from Swedish heavy metal frontrunners HammerFall. Fast-rising modern symphonic metal band and Napalm Records label mates AD INFINITUM will kick off each enchanting night, featuring KAMELOT touring guest vocalist Melissa Bonny!Â
The tour will begin on April 25 in Baltimore, MD and will cross North America and back, coming to an end a month later in Tampa, FL on May 25. Tickets for this unmissable trek go on sale to the general public this Friday, January 19 at 10:00am local time, following an exclusive Blabbermouth pre-sale beginning on Wednesday, January 17 at 10:00am Eastern time. VIP upgrades will be available in select cities, and can be ordered via www.kamelot.com/VIP2024. Get your tickets now – they will go fast!
Guitarist/Founder of KAMELOT, Thomas Youngblood, says: “We are beyond excited about the upcoming North American tour with our friends HammerFall and AD INFINITUM! We have been to Europe, Japan and South America as part of our AWAKEN THE WORLD tour, and we will come back to North America for some cities we didn’t get to visit on the first leg. Get ready for some amazing nights on this epic Symphonic Metal package!”Â
KAMELOT: Awaken The World Tour 2024Â North American tour dates: ** = Featuring Seven Spires, No HammerFall
4.25.24 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head ** 4.26.24 – Huntington, NY – Paramount ** 4.27.24 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live ** 4.28.24 – Quebec City, QC – Theatre Capitole ** 4.30.24 – Harrisburg, PA – HMAC 5.1.24 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theatre 5.3.24 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone 5.4.24 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall 5.6.24 – Fort Worth, TX – Tannahill’s 5.7.24 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Event Center 5.9.24 – Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theater 5.10.24 – Tucson, AZ – Encore 5.11.24 – Anaheim, CA – City National Grove 5.12.24 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues 5.14.24 – Denver, CO – The Summit 5.16.24 – St. Paul, MN – Myth 5.17.24 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Ballroom/Milwaukee Metal Fest (no AD INFINITUM) 5.18.24 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues 5.20.24 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian 5.21.24 – Richmond, VA – The National 5.23.24 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts 5.24.24 – Atlanta, GA – Heaven – Masquerade 5.25.24 – Tampa, FL – Jannus Landing
KAMELOT‘s latest album, The Awakening, debuted at #2 on the US Current Hard Music Albums chart and #27 on the Current Album Sales chart, and connected with fans and critics alike – touted by many as the best late-era KAMELOT release to date! The album enters the band’s legacy as their most massive and diverse offering yet – mixing symphonic, gothic, melodic, progressive and power metal styles while yielding some of the heaviest tracks in the band’s history. Having reigned supreme with the release of internationally top-charting melodic metal pinnacles such as The Fourth Legacy (1999), The Black Halo (2005), Silverthorn (2012), Haven (2015, #1 US Hard Rock Albums), and most recently 2018’s acclaimed The Shadow Theory (#2 US Hard Music Albums), KAMELOT’s intense brand of ultramodern gothic and symphonic theatricality is amplified further and with more emotionalism than ever on The Awakening.
Showcasing the incomparable, stage-seasoned vocal acrobatics of Tommy Karevik and increasingly airtight, renowned technical teamwork of guitarist Thomas Youngblood, drummer Alex Landenburg, keyboardist Oliver Palotai and bassist Sean Tibbetts, KAMELOT’s score-like 13th studio album is accented by guest contributions from the likes of Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) and renowned instrumentalists like violinist Florian Janoske and cellist Tina Guo. The Awakening features crystal clear modern production helmed by the band and longtime producer Sascha Paeth, plus mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen of Hansen Studios.
“10/10 “Masterpiece!” – Metal-Temple
“The Awakening is KAMELOT’s best album in almost 20 years…” – The Prog Mind (US), 9/10
“The Awakening is KAMELOT performing at the top of their game.” – New Noise Magazine (US)
“The Awakening is probably the hottest candidate for the (melodic) metal album of the year.” – Rock It! (DE) – 10/10  Order The Awakening HERE:
One huge problem I have had with the Metal community for the past fifteen years is the disparagement against Power Metal and the wonderful people behind this immensely talented genre. I keep seeing the haters referring Power Metal as “cheesy”, “lame”, “boring”, and “derivative”, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s one thing to dislike certain sounds or a vocalist’s tone, but undermining an entire genre is sacrilegious and immature. Metal is supposed to be about community, acceptance, and rebelling against any kind of authority. In a society where everything divides us, Metal can unite us. Letting one basement dweller alter your view of a sub-genre that goes back four decades is the equivalent of letting some snobby reviewer keep you from watching the new Star Trek. You’re only giving into suggestion, instead of educating yourself and forming your own opinions. There is a niche Power Metal band for everyone, and my mission is to promote these bands until they get the credit in the community that they deserve.
The Power Metal genre is attributed to Ronnie James Dio and his brilliantly written fantasy lyrics and the whole new universe with Rainbow and solo projects. To disparage Power Metal is ignorant because Dio is a founding father of Metal. He invented the symbol of “the Horn” and united us all with emotive and powerful lyrics that would charge tens of thousands into battle. This world of Fantasy combined with the screams, fast music, and dual guitars of Judas Priest promoted Power Metal. Manowar brought this whole new universe of Metal to America in 1980 when they were inspired by Canadian act Thor. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal also inspired Power Metallers like Accept, Blind Guardian, and the almighty Helloween Power Metal IS original Metal along with Black Sabbath. And, the new wave of Power Metal hasn’t fallen far from the original tree that Dio planted so long ago. Whether you like it or not, Power Metal is quintessential to all Metal. To disparage it is to discount Dio’s influence on Metal, which would get you your ass kicked in any mosh pit in the world.
Power Metal has come back with a vengeance and more talent than ever with bands like Battle Beast, Beast In Black, Lords of the Trident, Seven Kingdoms, and the band who inspired this article, Unleash the Archers. These bands have worked tooth and nail to give this genre and an awakening too prove it is the best genre of Metal. It is a place where media distractions and inspiration meet to create an all inviting community. This unity is ever present at North American festivals like Mad With Power, curated by “nice Metal bud” Ty Christian of Lords of the Trident, and the hugely successful Prog Power in Atlanta. These festivals are huge meet ups for the all accepting “nerds” of Power Metal. Unleash the Archers, one of the most successful and highly regarded bands of the genre, have created and inspired this absolutely incredible community of nerds who wish to return Metal to the forefront. Brittney Slayes, who is considered a Dio successor, has created an entirely new fantasy world inspired by Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and Mad Max. She is an eloquent direct writer, has nearly a four octave range, and embraces where Metal and nerdom/geekdom meet. Her brothers in arms, Andrew Kingsley on Guitar, Grant Truesdell on guitar, Nick Miller on Bass, and husband and drummer Scott Buchanan have created a unique blend of Power Metal, Prog, Death Metal, and Neo Classicism that has stunned audiences all over the world. There is a magic quality to this band that mirrors Iron Maiden, especially in a live setting, and their brother bands are no different. Unleash the Archers is unarguably one of the best bands of the century and the company they keep mirrors this brilliance and exalts the talent within the genre.
Unleash the Archers at Mad With Power 2023. Photo by Kyle Finlan Photography
Watching Mad With Power, which Unleash the Archers headlined for their first show in nearly two years, on stream this year reminded me of the scope and the importance of Power Metal. These bands are the best talents you can ever see live. The music is brave, technical, emotional, and provides an escape from a difficult time in society. Powerglove brought the nerdom to life as well as newer Symphonic Power Metal outfit Shield of Wings. They debuted a cover of “The Final Battle” from Elden Ring that stunned the video gamers in the crowd. Bostonian Death/Prog/Power Pirates Seven Spires absolutely dominated the first night bringing Neo Classicism and utterly devastating riffs. You just have to experience this band live to understand the unending talent. The second night, Floridian Power Metal band Seven Kingdoms took the stage and brought a work horse speed metal vibe with singer Sabrina Cruz belting into the rafters. The speed of this band is unbelievable. They are undoubtedly one of my top five live bands and just the nicest most inspirational people you will ever meet. Lords of the Trident come humble but completely destroy the stage with song after song emotive Neo Classicism that screams of Yngwie and Van Halen. Headliners Unleash the Archers, I mean I’ve already exalted and honestly drooled over this band, but their set at MWP Fest this year was truly something to behold. I can’t believe the talent we have in North America, and UTA is the finest example of that talent. If you have never heard or seen this band, go see them live, and I promise you will leave with your jaw dropped, tears in your eyes, a smile, and a sore neck.
Mad With Power is built around Ty Christian’s ideology, “New Wave of Nice Metal Buds” of trying to build an all accepting community. It’s where everyone can like Metal, Games, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, 80’s Music, and Synthwave all in one amazing festival and all the bands inspire each other to be authentic. Being a part of this community myself has utterly changed my dingy view of American Metal and an all too hateful society. I found like minded people who want to keep echoes from the past alive. This is why Power Metal is so pertinent to the Metal Community, it provides an absolute escape from daily stresses and trials and brings people together while keeping the music to the highest standard. This festival is the event of the year. If you like Power Metal, you cannot miss this festival. Ty Christian and friends have created the best festival in North America but also brought a new family style feel to Metal that we have needed all along. Mad With Power proves we are in the second wave of Power Metal, and it gives me hope that people will once again return to original Metal and honor where it came from.
Whether you like it or not Power Metal has the best riffs, the best solos, the best vocal lines, the best screams, the best lyrical content, the best fans, and the best merchandise. This genre combines everything that made us love Metal in the 80s and the media that has combined new fan groups. There is nothing cheesy or derivative about inspired music and immense musical proficiency. There are infinite possibilities and you are bound to like something in this vast technical prowess filled genre. So, here’s 20 essential Power Metal Bands you must hear. Maybe these awesome picks will expand some feeble minds and cast out the ignorance to this supreme genre.
This list is not in any order of best or age, it’s merely a sampler playlist you can use to check out some of the GOATS in Power Metal
Danny is a powerhouse with a pretty impressive range used widely over Voyager’s 20+ year career. He uses an eclectic throwback sound to the New Wave days in the 1980’s and layers in Power Metal influences and occasional grunts. It’s an incredibly complex vocal that I don’t think anyone else could replicate. You hear him sing one note and you know it’s him immediately. No matter what style Danny may emulate, Voyager is an absolute party to listen to and a truly happy Metal band with sick riffs and catchy vocals.
Devin Townsend
My favorite singer of all time and one of the most technical on this list. Devin has a four octave range that he utilizes in over twenty styles of music and 25 years of creating. He is a vocal shapeshifter, switching from harmonic screams to tenor vocals in the smoothest transition. It is astounding to watch what he can do with his voice as he goes to the absolute limit in every performance, “Screaming until he tastes blood” doesn’t get any more brutal than that. I will definitely cover this astonishingly beautiful artist throughout my entire career as a Metal writer. He is one of the greatest singers, forget genres, forget tastes and subjectivity, he is supremely talented.
Phil Romeo- Countless Skies
One of the most surprising voices on this list, Phil Romeo is an operatic tenor Power singer and bassist in British Melodeth band Countless Skies. The first time I heard Phil sing was on the track Zephyr, and not knowing anything about this band, I thought it was a Devin Townsend feature. I was astounded to find out that it wasn’t Devin and that it was this unknown bassist laying down one of the most passionate vocal lines I have ever heard.
Tom Englund- Evergrey
I know, Evergrey is a well known Power Metal band with nearly 30 years of experience under their belt, but I have to say that Tom is a hugely underrated vocalist. I don’t see him come up on any vocalist list and I think he’s overlooked. He has such a unique and recognizable smooth tone. It’s almost a bluesy style, but with insane power. Nobody sounds like Tom.
Joseph Michael-Witherfall
I only discovered this incredible Doomy Progressive Metal band last fall and I was utterly bombed by Joseph’s voice. His delivery of vocals in the cover of Foreplay/Long Time by the great Boston is absolutely spectacular and not what I expected in the slightest. Witherfall is one of the most musically talented bands out there today, and Joseph is the frontrunner of the dynamics.
Dan Cleary- Striker
Striker (not to be confused with 80’s Stryper) is a Epic Power Metal band from Alberta, Canada that is known for playing throwback traditional style Metal. They are a nostalgic cheesy Metal band part of a collective touring group NWONMB, that features Lords of The Trident, Unleash the Archers, Seven Kingdoms, and more. Dan has immense power and range that definitely reminds me of Dokken, Queensrhyche, and Whitesnake. It’s just good clean Metal with soaring vocals.
Daniel Helman- Lost Horizon
One of the more unknown names on this list, Dan Helman led the great Lost Horizons from Sweden and created a sound that would go on to influence some of the newest and most powerful singers today. I hadn’t heard of him until Brittney Slayes of Unleash the Archers mentioned LH as an influence. The song below is an absolute vocal masterpiece of shocking proportion.
Joacim Cans- Hammerfall
I can’t talk about male singers without talking about Joacim Cans. I don’t see this fantastic melodious Power singer on any list, and it’s an absolute crime. He is one of the best vocalists I have ever seen live. His control, consistency, and power belts are unreal. Hammerfall has been around for three decades and hasn’t received nearly enough credit.
Damian Wilson- Threshold, Ayreon, and more.
Damian is one of those singers nobody talks about, and yet has one of the most distinctive voices of all time. I was introduced to Damian Wilson on Arjen Lucassen’s Star One and was blown away by his tone. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard. He goes from singing soft ballad vocals to high powerful belting. No matter what he’s singing, his vocals are angelic and crystal clear.
Mike Mills- Toehider, Ayreon
Possibly possessing one of the biggest ranges on the list, Mike Mills has been Arjen Lucassen’s go-to singer for fifteen years. The Australian Singer, Guitarist, and Songwriter does vocal gymnastics in any song he’s ever done. He pushes the limit of male vocals, reminiscent of the great Freddie Mercury with his high Soprano operatic vocals and having easily a four octave range. I have honestly never heard another singer like Mike. The song below is just five percent of what this guy can do. I highly recommend checking out his entire discography.
Patrik Selleby- Bloodbound
There’s quite a lot of Power Metal vocalists on this list, not on purpose but by sheer will of talent. The subgenre of Metal just has a knack for using the best, most versatile vocalists. Patrik Selleby has that belting higher range vocal that just captivates crowds. He has so many different techniques he uses. He can do soffty tenor vocals, dipping into baritone. He can scream and wail with precise vibrato reminiscent of 80’s Heavy Metal. He can also use fry vocals to accentuate vowels. I absolutely love his style and Bloodbound’s overall sound.
Isahn- Emperor
Isahn has one of the most piercing and soul haunting screams I’ve ever heard, but his clean vocals are what truly astonished me. I hadn’t heard him sing until the release of the EP “Pharaohs” and I have craved his voice ever since. If you could ever describe a man’s voice as sultry, it would be Isahn’s.
Einar Solberg- Leprous
Out of all the singers on this list, Einar possibly has the most shocking and distinctive voice on the list. This man’s voice is breathtakingly beautiful. I don’t describe male vocals as “beautiful”, but it’s the word that comes to mind. It is light, airy, and angelic upon every note he sings. His range is just massive, reaching into the rafters with soprano operatic and epic falsetto that bring chills and tears alike. It is impossible not to listen to Leprous and not get emotional. Nobody sounds like Einar. He is absolutely sensational. He’s just a brilliant vocalist and songwriter. The song below says more than I can ever say.
Mathias Blad- Falconer
Falconer is a legendary Medieval Folk Power Metal band with quite the cult following. The band tried to hang it up in 2016, but due to a high demand, they keep returning for exclusive performances and one final album. They officially disbanded in 2020 sadly, but Mathias’ legacy lives on.
Kobi Farhi- Orphaned Land
I have always been enchanted by Middle Eastern vocals since Sting’s “Desert Rose”. It’s never been a style I thought “oh, that would work in Metal”, but it absolutely does. Kobi Farhi of the Israeli Heavy Metal band proves the unique technique fits the Western Heavy Metal instrumentation. This singing style, Mizahi or monotonic, requires a lot of control and technique to stay in pitch. His ability to switch into this and keep it perfectly within the music is spectacular. He is truly one of the most talented male singers out there.
Spencer Sotelo- Periphery
I could write an entire article about this vocalist and his range. I didn’t expect to become obsessed with his voice as it is a lot higher than I am usually into. Spencer has insane control over his instrument, able to switch from screams to falsetto to a softer vocal. He also has a nu-metal style fry rap in “Marigold” which is just sublimely executed. He’s effortless in his delivery, as with most singers on this list. His range also frequently rises to harmonics, which is one of the highest sectors in music. He is an unbelievably skilled vocalist and truly doesn’t get enough credit.
Jeff Scott Soto- Sons of Apollo, Yngwie, Trans Siberian Orchestra.
I only see this guy talked about in Prog channels and not more globally honored for some reason. Soto has a unique style that blends 90’s Hard Rock, Power Metal, and Soul aspects into one powerhouse vocal. Sons of Apollo is an American supergroup of some of the most talented musicians of all time. Soto fits this bill and the resounding emotive Heavy Metal style. He brings the melody so smoothly on top of very rhythmic music, which is hard to do. He has a massive range from Baritone to high screams, and I don’t think there’s a limit to it.
Terje Haroy- Pyramaze
Now, I know 99% of Metal listeners have never heard of Terje, making him one of the most unknown on the list, but he is a MUST hear vocalist. The power, the emotion, the clarity, and the grit of this singer is monolithic. He produces so much sound from just one held note. I have no idea how he pushes it to the limit while staying in perfect pitch. His vocals range from deep drones, to power belting, screams, and sounds I cannot even begin to describe. Pyramaze has been around for two decades and has been led by some amazing vocalists, but this guy is on a whole other level. His vocal energy could probably power the entirety of North America. The song below is one of the best vocal performances I have ever heard in my twenty two years of listening to Metal.
Markus Vanhala- Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum
A backing vocalist normally known for his songwriting and guitar playing, doesn’t get much credit as a vocalist. But when Markus’s clean vocals come in, it sets the whole tone for any track. You know it’s going to be a deeply emotional track when Markus sings. His tonal quality and breath control is astounding to me. He can hold notes for two measures without any vibrato or notational deviation. I had to include him because he is just so distinctive and such an underrated musician. After hearing him sing live in person twice, I have been in love with his clean vocals ever since. He could honestly front a band all on his own instead of being in the background.
Yannis Papadopoulos- Beast in Black
One of the craziest voices I’ve ever heard (besides Mark Slaughter) Yannis has what is best described as a Soprano Male Vocal. He is only one of the only males I’ve mistaken as a female, and that definitely makes an interesting reaction. After hearing this guy do operatic soprano, fry vocals, and crazy high screams, I never thought I’d hear him use a more beautiful and emotive vocal. Once you hear Floor Jansen sing “Ghost Love Score”, you may say it is the only version, but I highly recommend Yannis’ beautiful cover of the Power Ballad. He has immense range and one of the highest technical abilities I have ever heard. I think he’s one of those singers that could sing just about anything. So, I really want a covers album from this incredible Norwegian Power Metal band.
Honorable Mentions
JB- Grand Magus
Dino Jelusick- Trans Siberian Orchestra/Whitesnake
PelleK
Andrew Kingsley- Unleash the Archers, Sleeper Ship
Fang VonWrathenstein- Lords of the Trident
Todd La Torre- Queensryche
Tommy Giles- Between the Buried and Me
Rou Reynolds- Enter Shikari
Who did I miss this time? Who are your favorite male vocalists?
Disclaimer: This article is written based on my opinions. It is not meant to be taken as a factual research paper.
The German Open Air Metal Festival, Rockharz, is currently announcing bands for the 2015 lineup.  So far they’ve announced Hammerfall, WASP, Eluveitie, Behemoth, Kataklysm, Delain, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, The Haunted, Cradle of Filth, and LETZTE INSTANZ.  So far this sounds like an amazing festival, a good one to catch before Wacken!
You can check out more about the festival here http://www.rockharz-festival.com/
I’ve been talking about Gothenburg metal a lot lately with new At The Gates and In Flames albums coming out this year as well as Amaranthe.  Being a huge fan of what Gothenburg has to offer in the metal scene, I surely cannot look over Hammerfall.  The Swedish Power Metal band has been creating anthemic metal since 1993.  Hammerfall began a new era in Power Metal and began my crusade for European in America.  Hammerfall is one of the most influential Power Metal bands ever, Glory To the Brave and Legacy of Kings attribute to their powerful reign of metal all over the world.  Those are two of my favorite albums of all time.  Hammerfall is certainly not Swedecore, but their own genre alone.
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After an almost two year long hiatus, Hammerfall are back in 2014 with (r)Evolution, their brand new album.  Their ninth album is a huge departure from their last, Infected (2011).  It is a throwback album to Hammerfall’s roots and their best characteristics.  The album is a perfect cross between Glory To the Brave, Legacy of Kings, and heavier guitars from Nikas and Pontus.  The guitar solos are screaming, fast, and placed perfectly in the pocket.  (r)Evolution just has that powerful sound that takes you back to the days of sword battles and the fantasy world of conquest and dragons.  It has every ingredient that the fans wish for in the typical Hammerfall album.  Joacim Cans is of course the biggest contributor to the band’s sound, with his mighty and powerful lead vocals, perfectly executed on every song.  (r)Evolution is the best album from Hammerfall we may ever get.
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The album opens with the epic anthem, Hector’s Hymn, with a powerful viking edge to it that their last album was absent of.  The trackhas absolutely amazing vocals, epic Speed Metal guitars, and perfectly executed technical drums.  The title track, (r)Evolution, is spot on with Hammerfall’s anthemic sound.  The second track starts out slowly building, then a great powerful high note, and then building faster and heavier into another amazing fist pounding anthem.  The softer verses on this song are what makes this song perfect, giving a great dynamic to the album.  Bushido is reminiscent of their first album, but so much cleaner and well produced.  This song has the typical dynamic and does tend to fall flat after the first two songs.  However, Bushido is true to the story of the warrior.  Live Life Loud is yet another slow building power anthem, but the guitars are harder hitting and more interesting on this song than Hector’s Hymn.  Live Life Loud sounds like a tip of the hat to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.
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Ex Inferis is a darker, more intense, harder hitting song and breaks the album up from the typical anthemic song.  This song specifically shows Hammerfall went for a lyrical and vocal based album than Infected.  We Won’t Back Down speeds things up and finally turns the bass up more.  The song features vocals from the brilliant and powerful James Michael from American rock band, Sixx Am.  He is featured throughout the album singing the lower parts, adding contrast to Joacim’s soaring high vocals.  James was also featured on Infected.  In true Hammerfall style, (r)Evolution has it’s well executed beautiful ballad, Winter Is Coming.  This song takes me back to Legacy of Kings in such a vivid way.  Winter Is Coming is one of the best written songs on this album, however I expected it to be a little more long and epic.  Origins is a very interesting Celtic Speed Metal song that I absolutely love on this album, having a more rhythmic feel to it than other tracks.  Tainted Metal is a stomping track, having guitars a bit more in the forefront to keep the vocals from being too repetitive throughout the album.  The snare however gets repetitive on the verses and drowns out the other instruments too much.  Evil Incarnate is a dragging, technical heavy song, that delivers adequately with typical Hammerfall sound.  The album closes with a bang at the track Wildfire, a fast intense ride that brings (r)Evolution to life, giving every musician their final say  It is a perfect epic jam to close a well produced Hammerfall album to an end.
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Overall (r)Evolution is a well executed and well performed album from Hammerfall, however it lacks the typical energy the band  usually attributes to their albums.  The dynamic truly falls flat and the vocals tend to be at one level throughout most songs, making for a boring listening experience.  Although this isn’t Hammerfall’s best album, it is everything I love about the band and makes for a reminiscent experience.  I liked everything they put into this album and I am glad to hear them go back to their roots.  Their root sound is what makes them truly great and is the biggest factor  to why this album is overall perfect.
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Rating; 7/10
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Also Listen To: High Priestess by Kobra and the Lotus, Maximum Overload by Dragonforce, The Human Contradiction by Delain, Heroes by Sabaton, Fallen Leaves & Dead Heroes by Amoral
[photo credit: Tom Couture] Modern heavy symphonic metal leaders KAMELOT continue to celebrate their latest top-charting full-length album, The Awakening, in grandiose style! Today, the band is thrilled to announce their upcoming North American “Kamelot: Awaken The World Tour 2024”, featuring direct support from Swedish heavy metal frontrunners HammerFall. Fast-rising modern symphonic metal band and Napalm Records label mates AD INFINITUM will kick off each enchanting night, featuring KAMELOT touring guest vocalist Melissa Bonny! 
Metal Valkyrie 