Mob Rules - Ethnolution A.D. 4.5/5
Reviewed: 11-24-06
Tracklist:
1. Prologue
2. Unholy war
3. Ashes to ashes
4. Fuel to the fire
5. Veil of death
6. The last farewell
7. Day and a lifetime
8. River of pain
9. Ain't the one
10. New horizon
11. With sparrows
12. Better morning
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I'm going to get straight to the point. Mob Rules has always been one of my favorite bands and I've rated all of their CDs (deservingly) very high. I first heard them back in 1999 when I was sent a sample (was actually a cassette-tape) which included bands that were with LMP (Limb Music) at that time. Among songs from Rhapsody, Ivory Tower and others, the ultra-fun "Rain song" from Mob Rules' debut 'Savage land' was included, and since I liked the song so much I immediately purchased the CD. Since then, I've enjoyed all of their CDs and they hit a major peak in my mind with their 3rd CD 'Hollowed be thy name'. Every song on that CD is pure magnificence and it's one of the few CDs in which I love every moment.
For those who have yet to experience their brilliance, they can easily be described as melodic heavy/power metal with some orchestral highlights and their vocalist Klaus Dirks has a somewhat high-pitched but extremely unique voice. He's truly one of a kind, and combined with the amazing talent the rest of the band presents, they're simply magical. The way the band's songwriting skills/abilities show through reminds me a lot of Human Fortress. But Mob Rules has more experience (and CDs) under their belt, and to me they're the ultimate sing-a-long band. In fact, the power metal genre without Mob Rules is like Thanksgiving without a Turkey.
So how does the band's 5th CD 'Ethnolution A.D.' compare to the rest of their CDs? Well, as far as the overall quality, I'd rank it a bit better than their first 2 CDs ('Savage land' and 'Temple of two suns'), not quite up there with the masterpiece 3rd CD 'Hollowed be thy name', but maybe at the same level of their previous/4th CD 'Among the gods'. Most of the songs are mid-paced, leaving track 4 "Fuel to the fire", track 8 "River of pain" and track 10 "New horizon" as the only fast songs (that actually may be the reason I like 'Hollowed be thy name' the best, as it contains at least 5 speedy numbers I believe). My favorite song is definitely the just mentioned "New Horizon", as it's one of those songs that has it all, and of course, is one of the faster songs. The slow closer "Better morning" is also nice, as Mob Rules' ballads/slow songs are always exceptional.
One thing worth mentioning is the first 6 tracks are actually parts of the song "Ethnolution A.D.", which means the songs fit together and flow quite well, but they also have similar or the same melodies. Together, they make up about 20 minutes of the CD. I also want to note, that while I usually recommend a band's best CD (in this case 'Hollowed be thy name') as the starting CD for those getting into the band, I instead suggest picking up their debut 'Savage land' and then grabbing the rest of their CDs in succession. So take my advice, as this band is really awesome! Just like I don't want you to spend Thanksgiving without a turkey, I also don't want you to be involved with power metal without having experienced the amazing Mob Rules.
CLINT
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