Album review: EMERALD SUN – Metal Dome
Fastball Music [Release date 22.05.15]
Emerald Sun hail from Thessaloniki in Greece and I can’t help but think that if the Greek economy was as healthy as their metal scene then the Eurozone might be getting handouts from Athens!
Melodic power metal is the currency offered up by Emerald Sun and it has a very Germanic feel to it which is no bad thing in my book. This is the band’s third album and the band have also supported Saxon, Edguy and Sabaton to name but a few. Another name that springs to mind is the band’s fellow countrymen Firewind, there are a lot of comparisons which can be drawn between the two, especially in the quality of the musicianship on show.
Things kick off at breakneck speed with ‘Screamers In The Night’ which is top quality power metal and gives a good indication of the quality of the tracks on offer. The title track ‘Metal Dome’ follows, a slower paced number with a chugging riff which wouldn’t be out of place on a Manowar album.
The pace is upped once more with ‘Black Pearl’ which is one of the best tracks on the album with a soaring chorus and excellent harmonies, power metal at its best. Over the course of the 12 tracks on offer it is the faster paced tracks which pack the most punch, slower tracks do tend to slip into AOR territory on occasion.
Another highlight is ‘Dust and Bones’ which again rocks along like a runaway train and features great guitar work from Johnnie and Pavlos. The vocals of frontman Stelios are also strong throughout and he puts in a top performance on the track ‘Legacy Of The Night’ which again has a huge chorus.
The album is rounded off by ‘Call Of Nature’ which features a duet between Stelios and Liv Kristine of Leaves’ Eyes fame. The track also has a flute refrain running through it which gives it an almost medieval feel, something a bit different to close proceedings.
If you like power metal then Emerald Sun are a band who you should invest in as soon as possible because unlike the euro you are guaranteed to get your money’s worth. ***1/2
Review by David Wilson
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
RIOGHAN Hands (Inverse Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
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