Not only Swedish melodic metal band Harmony releases a new album, but colleagues
Axenstar also. Although you can put the stamp melodic power metal on both, there
sure is a big difference in their music. In general this Axenstar is a lot faster and
more direct. Another fact is that singer Magnus Wilterwild, although not a bad
vocalist, can't win the competition with Harmony vocalist Daniel Heimann.
Nevertheless Magnus is a singer that fits to the music, but in my opinion he
could have been a bit more powerful.
The album listens away very easy and doesn't get boring for a minute. The
guitars have a rather heavy sound and the drums are tortured with violent bangs.
Just listen to the drums in "My Sacrifice" and you know what I mean. The band
can be placed in the same row as bands like Steel Attack and Sonata Arctica.
Heavy, melodic and rather fast songs with class. The only difference from these
two bands is that there are no songs that really keep hanging in your head. All
the songs are good, but do sound a lot like eachother after a bit. A little more
variety in tempo and in song writing would make this album even better. On the
other hand there isn't anything really to comment upon. For a song like "Annihilation"
you can wake me up any time and the riffs of "Greed" make me very excited.
If you want it a bit heavier and faster than Harmony, this sixth album by
Axenstar is just what you might need. The end of 2014 turns out to be a Swedish
(melodic) power metal party with releases of Axenstar, Harmony and the mighty
new Bloodbound album.
