Album review: GLORYHAMMER – SPACE 1992: Rise Of The Chaos Wizards

Napalm Records [release date 25.09.15 ]

Angus McFife and his merry band are back in another tale of daring do. This time taking on the galactic hordes in the defence of the mighty galaxy of Fife against the evil wizard Zargothrax, awakened after 1000 years trapped in ice. The chaos wizard is back in a tale that is once again played out in fine power metal style with tongue firmly in cheek.

Christopher Bowes is at the helm, and at the keyboards, as the guys battle the evil wizard as he attempts to lay waste the north east of Scotland ( I have been there, he is too late!).

Bowes takes a back seat here though when it comes to the vocals leaving things to the able voice of Thomas Winkler. Where Bowes’ vocals are fine for the piratical nonsense of Alestorm they would struggle to do justice to the majestic power metal of Gloryhammer.

As with the band’s first album, ‘Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife’, the songs are all about big melodies and a rapid fire delivery. Taking their cues from the likes of Helloween, Edguy and even Dragonforce the guys play up a galactic storm. One of the highlights is the guitar work of Paul Templing. His playing is excellent throughout whether he is riffing his heart out or pulling off another blistering solo.

Lyrically the guys have played things for laughs and with song titles like ‘Questlords Of Inverness, Ride To The Galactic Fortress!’, ‘The Hollywood Hootsman’ and ‘Heroes (Of Dundee)’ you can’t take things too seriously. As the album is a continuation of sorts from the band’s first album we have the same characters and place names used throughout the tale. The little seaside villages of Crail and Anstruther feature once again, I assume the guys are sponsored by Fife tourist board?

Song wise ‘Apocalypse 1992’ is the highlight of the album. An epic track which rounds off the story and features the epic space battle to save Dundee, Aberdeen and the East Neuk of Fife (that’s a sentence I never thought I would write in an album review!) from the evil hordes of Zargothrax. The song twists and turns with the entire band putting in maximum effort.

This is a fun album but one which has a lot of substance and excellent writing. Once again Gloryhammer have proved themselves to be a power metal force not to be taken lightly, just ask Zargothrax…All hail Angus McFife and onwards to Dundee!!

****

Review by David Wilson

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