MEDEVIL — Conductor of Storms (review)

MEDEVIL — Conductor of Storms album cover Album · 2016 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Time Signature
Enter the "medevil" times

Genre: traditional metal / US power metal

Enter Medevil from Chilliwack in Canada. Their debut album "Conductor of Storms" is to be released on August 2016 by the band themselves.

Stylistically, "Conductor of Storms" combines traditional metal with US power metal, peppering it with a bit of thrash metal. The listener is treated to classic-sounding heavy metal riffs packaged into compositions that slightly update the traditional metal sound and add the oomph of US power metal, which is especially present in 'Nightwalk' and 'Machination Factory' as well as in 'Escape'. 'A Sacrifice' is more of traditional metal track, rich in guitar harmonies and galloping rhythms. A very good example of the thrashier side of the album is 'An Empty Glass' which falls is more of a power-thrash affair. 'In the Distance' is an instrumental which strikes me as being almost cautious compared to the rest of the album. In a way, that does create an interesting sense of dynamics. The ballad 'The Angel of Rain' deviates even more, as it appears to be considerably inspired by 90s alternative rock. That's not a bad thing. It's just different. The magnum opus on the album is the epic 12-minute track 'The Fabled Uxoricide' in which Medevil venture unscathed deep into progressive territory, treating us to twists and turns as well as complex layers of harmonies and melodies.

The production is pretty good, and the sound is round and warm rather than sharp and cold. The guys in the band display solid songwriting skills and an admirable level of musicianship across the board. Liam Collingwood's vocals might be an acquired taste, but, seeing that his voice sounds like a blend of Udo Dirkschneider, Mark "The Shark" Shelton, and Biff Byford, there's no doubt that hi singing style suits this kind of music very well.

Overall, "Conductor of Storms" is a pretty strong debut album indicating that this band has great talent and great potential. Fans of traditional metal as well as US power metal should definitely invest in this album. It is definitely an album I will listen to again.
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