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Their first album 'Crisis in Eutopia' (2010) was a good debut album and this second release tops the first. The band plays old school (US) power metal with high technical skills and with a very modern production. The Californian sun has had a good influence on the members. The songs are for the biggest part mid/up-tempo and are heavy and melodic at the same time. Especially the guitar shredding and solos are a feast for the ears. Eli Santana and Alex Lee form a perfect duo like for example Tipton/Downing. James Paul Luna has a warm voice that fits this style like a glove. Many power metal bands have big choirs and orchestral keys, not Holy Grail. They have the writing skills to make songs interesting without all these attire. When I need to mention bands you can compare them with, I would say that they play in a kind of Steel Prophet/Helstar (Nosferatu) kind of style, but then with a modern production and thrash influences. Also fans of Steel Assassin and Racer X will find interesting stuff here. Like in all (power) metal bands you hear Iron Maiden/Judas Priest rhythms and riffs in their songs. Listening to the galloping riffs in the track "Dark Passenger" puts a big smile on my face and who wouldn't be pleased after you been listening to the first tunes of 'Silence the Scream'. Especially the excellent technical guitar work and the nice melody make this album the first hammer of the year. To add some heaviness to their music there are some sporadic harsh vocals like for example in the track "The Great Arctifice". If you mix the music of the bands I already mentioned, you will get something like Holy Grail I suppose... | ||||||||||||||||||
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