Elvenpath - s/t 4/5
Reviewed: 5-1-11
Tracklist:
1. For our liberty
2. Into the future
3. Guardians of the underground
4. Moria
5. Enflaming demands
6. Cellars of doom
7. Metal suite I (The suite of metal)
8. Metalwar (The truelogy - part one)
9. Metal suite II (The suite of steel)
10. War of steel (The truelogy - part two)
11. Metal suite III (The suite of iron)
12. Metalsteel (The truelogy - part three)
13. Metal Suite IV (The suite of heavy metal victory)
|
3 years after the amazing release of 'Spyrol', Frankfort's forthright metal warriors Elvenpath return ready to open new gateways of iron and steel. Once again there have been some significant line-up changes, and even after this CD was released, drummer Boldie Von Herbolder has amicably departed.
The pursuit of true steel is always dear to mainstay member Till Oberboßel's mettle heart, and the new Elvenpath is pure evidence of this. If "Northern son" was his homage to Quorthon (Tomas Börje Forsberg) on 'Spyrol', then his love for Manowar and epic metal is verily even more pronounced on this release. Fans of Crom, ValSans, Icy Steel and Wizard take note.
The song "Into the future" is a total homage to all godz of metal, musically and lyrically. The very pissed intro for the pummeling "Guardians of the underground" clearly demonstrates that Elvenpath are true as Teutonic steel. They simply will not tolerate scurrilous poseurs, skullduggery, or sprezzatura among the wannabees!
I love this CD, and have played it well over 20 times. (Thank you Till for personally sending me a copy all the way from Germany!) However, I must mention the zany, and OTT metal antics. "Metal Suite I - IV" are not actual songs, but rather thematic pieces which link the last 7 songs. Unfortunately, these are nothing more than the sounds of horses neighing, swords clashing, and warriors screaming, with background effects - this gets old fast.
Musically, "Metalsteel" is absolutely awesome, but the lyrics are, dare I suggest, not as metal as they should be. C'mon, why are they proud of their "Heavy metal houses", "showers", "beds", etc. What pray tell exactly are "Heavy metal cattle and cows"? WTF! Sure I have metal in my shower, with the nozzle, pipes and drain, and thankfully my bed frame is made of metal, but these are not to be construed as music concepts. I understand that the band is insinuating that they are 100% metal in every aspect of their lives, but so am I.
I just feel they could have selected some better lyrics. What are "Heavy metal trousers" anyway? When they sing about "Metal land", I am reminded of Gwar, and in more ways than one!
Thankfully, the Tolkien inspired "Moria", the powerful opener "For our liberty", and the rippin' "Cellars of doom" more than make-up for the cheese factor with their commissariat meat and potatoes metal approach; thus serving as surfeited provender.
Dragutin Kremenovic has a soaring voice which is so perfect for this type of style. The rest of the band which have played several live shows sincerely demonstrate their stellar playing capacity.
The burning ambition of the Elvenpath guys is to be commended. These beasts of war are audacious and bodacious, and they make no apologies. Their new CD is an excellent self-released endeavour, with a very nicely done booklet. The production is damn good too. I highly recommend you invest in this; thereby increasing the enflaming demand for real metal still played by true metalheads.
MICHAEL
MORE REVIEWS... FULL REVIEWS
MORE REVIEWS BY MICHAEL... MICHAEL
MAIN -
A -
B -
C -
D -
E -
F -
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q -
R -
S -
T -
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y -
Z -
MISC
Email: metalcdratings@yahoo.com
