BATTLE BEAST - Steel

The story of the band sounds a bit like a fairytale, with various competition wins. And if you think that the band exists since 2008, you can understand why this is a major achievement for them. Battle Beast are from Finland and are playing Power Metal, blending the Teutonic rhythm section, with the excellent melodies that Finnish bands know how to create. The result is an album that is so catchy that sticks into your mind from the first minute, with pompous rhythms, nice refrains, parts to sing along, and plenty of groove to bang your head along. Being both oldfashioned at times, with back vocals that add some Epic feeling to the songs, but also with modern keyboard and guitar melodies that give a more shiny touch, and a complexity at times, which is welcome. The female vocalist is remarkable, managing to deliver either the high pitched or the lower parts, with the same ease and quality, and is maybe one of the big plus of this album. An equal good job has been done in every instrument, making this album sound like a veteran release rather than a debut. The songs are very good, a bit cliche at times, but with nice ideas, and very good musicianship, and are so catchy and well worked, that there are no weak points or things that seem incomplete. The production is clear and heavy enough, but without sacrificing the oldfashion feeling this album brings at times. If you count out some cliches, which by the way are well blended in to the music, this is a case of an album that sticks into a stereo, and stays there for some time. Remarkable vocals varying in range, excellent music, well worked arrangements, a tight rhythm section, and songs that stand high above the average. If you like your Power Metal groovy, epic, and catchy, then this is an album that you should listen to.

9/10