Pharaoh
The Longest Night

Release date: February 21st 2006
Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
Provided by:
Cruz Del Sur Music

Website:
www.solarflight.net
Style: Heavy / Power / Thrash / Prog. Metal

Rating: 93/100
Reviewed by:
Jørgen Ditlev
Date:
March 6th 2006

Drummer Chris Black, Bass player Chris Kerns and guitarist Matt Johnsen formed Pharaoh in 1997, later on the line up was completed with none other than Tim Aymar the man who did the vocals on the Control Denied album “The Fragile Art of Existence”.

In 2003 Pharaoh released their debut album “After the Fire” on the Cruz Del Sur label, an album packed with great US Power Metal. And now they are back with a great new album called “The Longest Night”.

First of all the production by Matt Crooks (Twisted Tower Dire, Division etc.) is crystal clear, ad the cover artwork by Jean-Pascal Fournier (Edguy, Avantasia, Immortal etc.) is just awesome.

The musical style on “The Longest Night” is mostly Heavy / Power Metal, but every now and then there are bits and pieces of Thrash and Prog Metal. “The Longest Night” kicks off with the eight-minute track “Sunrise", a great mid-tempo song with a guest solo by ex Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland.

Other tracks worth mentioning (they all are) are the epic “By the Night Sky”, the quick paced “The Longest Night” and the riff inferno of “I am the Hammer”.

Pharaoh has delivered one of the best US Power Metal albums for a long time; hopefully we don’t have to wait another 3 years for the next masterpiece.  

Recommended tracks: Hell yeah, all of them.