Album review: BEAST IN BLACK – Dark Connection

Nuclear Blast [Release date 29.10.21]

Beast In Black, the band that love to mix synths, Europop beats and their love of Anime into the more traditional power metal mix. This is the band’s third album with both of their previous albums platinum-certified in Finland, and the latter of the two also hitting the top 10 of the German album chart.

There are plenty of upbeat power pop metal moments to be enjoyed on here including ‘Blade Runner’ and the recently released single ‘Hardcore’. ‘Highway To Mars’ possibly gets lost midway through. A tad long methinks. However, ‘One Night In Tokyo’ is one of the most addictive songs you’ll hear this year. Parping synths and a big dance beat make this one a winner, although it may have more traditional metal fans running for the hills! The guitar and synths trade off on this one is superb. Good work Anton Kabanen and Kasperi Heikkinen.

‘To The Last Drop Of Blood’ is more your meat ‘n’ potatoes power metal where the guitar is the star. ‘Moonlight Rendezvous’ straddles both camps, featuring plenty of guitar and synths. Personally I have found the Night Flight Orchestra have been treading water on their past couple of albums, so I am pleased that Beast In Black are leading the pack.

Beast In Black add two covers at the end of the album. The first, a riotous romp through Manowar’s ‘Battle Hymn’ is one you’d expect. However, Michael Jackson’s They Don’t Care About Us’ just shows this band don’t stick to what you’d expect. Yannis Papadopoulos certainly shows his vocal dexterity on this one.

Great fun from start to finish. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch 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)