Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 06:40 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Heavy metal
Country: France
Label: Infernö Records
Year: 2014
The reliability of the French heavy metal scene has been shown repeatedly from the 80’s to today offering us monumental releases from bands like Sortilege, Blaspheme, Lust, Steel Angel, Voodoo Child, Malediction andLonewolf among others.Elvenstorm is a relatively new band formed in 2008 with ‘Blood Leads To Glory’ being their second album attempt since the 2010 ‘Storm ‘Em All’ demo and 2011 ‘Of Rage and War’ album.
I was familiar with the band’s music since the demo which blew me away at the time but their first record was more or less a letdown for me. I had high expectations after hearing the brilliant demo songs (that were all included in the full length) so the new ones didn’t work for me. This is not happening with the new album. ‘Blood Leads To Glory’ offers high quality European heavy metal!
The band stays true to its sound from the beginning. Teutonic metal in the vein of Running Wild, early-Helloween, Gamma Ray, Stormwarriorand Grave Digger is what you getwith their new release. The main core of the band (Guitarist Michael Hellström and vocalist LauraFerreux) is invariant from the first days, with drummer Félix Börner (ex-LONEWOLF) and bassist Will Duclos completing the line-up.
The album is packed with double bassdrums, sharp riffs, beautiful guitar melodies, mind-blowing solos and loud choruses. Teutonic metal madness in songs like ‘Reign in Glory’, ‘Werewolves Of The East’, ‘Black Hordes’, ‘Fallen One’ and more melodic ones like ‘Temple of the Sun’. There is no rest for the listener throughout the whole album,the amount of energy released by the band is incredible. But…, the band leaves the best for last. The album peaks with its last two songs.First goes‘Where Angels Dare To Die’ with its melancholic aura, one of the best European metal songs I’ve heard in quite a while. Elvenstorm goes off the beaten path producing a song with more personality rather than just influences filtered through their playing. The sheer epicness, the riffs, the melodies, the bridges and solos….This kind of songs are destined to be classics! Second best is ‘Mistress from Hell’ featuring a duet of Laura Ferreuxwith Marta Gabriel of Crystal Viper. An exemplary heavy/power metal song with two of the best female voices of today’s metal! The cover of ‘Into the Fire’ (Savage Grace) was an excellent choice both because it fits with the music of the band and for closing this great album with style.
The album is available in cd/cassette format and a vinyl version will be released later this year on UNDER SIEGE Records. Although I know German metal is their style I would be curious to hear more French metal influences on the next album.Either way this is a highly recommended release! Well done!
4,5/6
