Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 08:12 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Progressive
Country: Norway
Label: –
Year: 2018
One of the oldest and most loved groups of melodic progressive metal returns three years after the successful “Devils Dozen”, with the fourteenth album of their twenty eight history, a courageous attempt with an independent production. I don’t want to underestimate them, I really dig their previous singers, but the return of DC Cooper gave merit, quality and certainty and the three albums that followed with him reincarnated the days of “Paradox” and “Moving Target”.Royal Hunt with the majestic “Cast in Stone” offer us a reliable musical journey, always in the same direction with only a few diversions, without that ruining anything for the listener,on the contrary it makes it even better. Guarantee for that are the magical keys and the compositional ability of Andre Andersen in catchy rhythms, along with the unique in color and emotion vocals of DC Cooper and the unbelievable guitarist Jonas Larsen that left me speechless with the first album of Stratosphere where he did magic things and continues to do so with Royal Hunt. Like in the previous albums, “Cast In Stone” has eight amazing tracks and a duration of 57 minutes, something that of course I prefer compared to albums with fifteen songs and only three good ones in them. An introduction with a touch of mystery from the keyboard of Andersen, amazing drums, guitar solos and a choir accompanying the charismatic voice of DC Cooper, in a wonderful pace, make up the opener “Fistful of Misery” which reminds a lot of the “Paradox” period.The very good “Last Soul Alive” brings us hard rock of the 70’s and 80’s in mind, with the keys, especially in the beginning, reminding of “Rainbow” by Deep Purple. A song that starts with a slow tempo and progressively getting stronger, “Sacrifice” belongs completely to the dynamic vocals of DC Cooper, with power and awesome screams that have something to do with Rob Halford (Judas Priest). “The Wishing Well” has a progressive element and with changes in rhythm and intensity, one of the best tracks Royal Hunt have written. “A Million Ways to Die” touches perfection and goes for first place, one song that has everything, epic introduction, incredible melodies and solos, a choir and the vocals that force you to bow down to the majesty of CD Cooper. Like a starting train that builds speed, “Rest in peace” with Andreas Pasmark at the bass and Andreas Johansson at the drums, as well as the solos of Jonas Larsen, destroy everything in their path, in a song that I loved and I’m sure you will love too. The mainstream American approach in “Save Me” that closes the record, is the only flaw in the whole of “Cast in Stone”.
