Power of Metal.dk Review

Mastercastle
Enfer [De La Bibliothèque Nationale]
Rating
Style: Power Metal
Release date: 17 October, 2014
Playing time: 40:47
 


First impression of this new Mastercastle was of a tedious album with a predisposition to be swamped under an ocean of similar-sounding bands. I wondered…was there going to be anything worth my while?

Before I go on, some brief notes on the band: Mastercastle, from Italy, are a Power Metal band with a self-confessed penchant for Neo-Classical melodies. They already have 5 albums to their name and current/previous band members have been active in other bands such as Labyrinth, Necrodeath, Shadows Of Steel and Extrema.

Back to “Enfer”…the singing of Giorgia Gueglio doesn’t have such a wide range and I often felt she wasn’t injecting enough verve into the music. Funnily enough I liked her most both in the album’s mellow song (‘Behind The Veil’, where her singing is particularly great) as well as in the heaviest songs (such as ‘Throne Of Time’). So, who knows, maybe it’s a matter of getting the right musical context for her singing.

As suggested, “Enfer…” suffers from a lack of inventiveness but there are still a few good songs to be found. ‘Venice’, for example, is a well-written and infectiously anthemic number with some cool guitar solos from Pier Gonella. It’s the instrumental ‘Coming Bach’ where Gonella shines, though, a passionate tribute to the music pioneered by Yngwie Malmsteen.

If you adore bands such as Labyrinth, Vision Divine, Sonata Arctica or even latter day Tristania, then “Enfer…” might be something you’ll enjoy. Or else, having such bands in your record collection might make this new Mastercastle redundant. Which way will it be? 

See the video for the song ‘Enfer’: 


Tracklist
01. The Castle
02. Let Me Out
03. Naked
04. Pirates
05. Enfer
06. Straight to the Bone
07. Throne of Time
08. Behind the Veil
09. Venice
10. Coming Bach
(instrumental)
Label: Scarlet Records
Distribution: Target (Denmark)
Reviewed by: Chris Galea
Date: 12 October, 2014
Website: www.mastercastle.net