Remember when power metal meant powerful metal? Those were the days when
keyboards were used sparingly (if at all), when vocalists sounded like a
banshee screaming their lungs out, and when the guitars had just as much crunch
as they did flare. Don’t get me wrong, I love the newer power metal bands, but
it seems the older style of power metal is not as prominent as it used to be. Luckily,
Pharaoh is here to bring back the glory days of the 80’s.
Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Pharaoh is
the very definition of US power metal: hard-hitting riffs, wailing strong
vocals, and plenty of speed. “Bury the Light” is their 4th release,
and is my introduction to the band. It’s safe to say that this is a solid metal
record. In fact, aside from the originators of this style in the 80’s, I don’t
think another band has been as convincing as Pharaoh.
Vocalist Tim Aymar, of Control Denied fame,
steals the show on this album. His vocal melodies soar over top of an endless
fury of riffs. The majority of the album is pretty fast, although many of the
songs feature a short interlude that helps to prevent everything from blurring
together. The exception to this relentless speed is “The Year of the Blizzard”,
which is the longest song featuring a couple of acoustic parts, as well as a
riff that is very reminiscent of Rush. For the most part though, the previously
released song, “Castles in the Sky”, sums up the whole album. It’s one of those
albums where every song is so energetic that you can’t help but get sucked into
it. It also helps that the melodies are so well-written (both vocal and guitar
lines).
Every song is fairly technical, but Pharaoh
avoids the pretentiousness of being excessively techy. There is no lack of
great musicianship here; as great as the riffs are, the solos are even better,
and would challenge just about any guitar player. The bass playing is typical
but does get a few moments play on its own, such as in the opening track “Leave
Me Here To Dream”. It’s not too difficult to hear the bass, and it’s very
noticeable on “Graveyard of Empires”, but for the most part, this album is
about the guitars and vocals.
While Pharaoh continues the legacy of US
power metal bands, they avoid sounding like a copy of any of them. There are
certainly some similarities to Jag Panzer and Liege Lord, but the only band
that ever seems to resemble Pharaoh is Brazilian speed metal band Hibria. Ultimately,
this album delivers 9 full tracks of relentless, powerful metal. It might not
be my album of the year, but I’m certain it will top quite a few lists.
Be sure to check out and like Pharaoh at their label’s page on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic?sk=app_204974879526524
Highlights:
“Leave Me Here To Dream”
“Castles in the Sky”
“Graveyard of Empires”
Final Rating:
4.1/5 or 82%
Written by Scott
Written by Scott