Final Sign – Hold High The Flame

“Hold High The Flame” is the debut record from American power metal band Final Sign. This album was put out by Divebomb Records, a label that is likely more well-known for its reissues than newer releases, but nevertheless, this is an album that will appeal to the label’s core fanbase. Final Sign’s version of power metal is very old-school. They offer the all guns blazing approach of records like “Thundersteel” and “Painkiller”, driven by speedy riffs, over the top vocals, and lots of double bass. The most noticeable element amongst these three is definitely the singing. Vocalist Shawn Pelata has one of those voices that is so insanely powerful that it transcends everything else that goes on. It is reminiscent of singers like Ripper Owens or even Ralf Scheepers on the early Primal Fear records. Unlike those singers however, Pelata has better control over his voice and doesn’t just hit ridiculous notes for the sake of hitting them.

One of the things that makes “Hold High The Flame” stand out immediately is just how many songs it has that are memorable upon first listen. The opener, “Daring The Sun” is certainly the most obvious choice, as the shouts of the title from the backing vocals are easy to sing along to. The next track, “Burn The Temple Down”, is a mid-paced stomper that actually reminds one again of Primal Fear (largely because of the groove it gets into once it really gets going) and surprisingly of Metalium (because of the heavy use of backing vocals). The title track shows Final Sign quickly returning to blazing power metal. “Possessor” is a song that takes a different approach, as it provides somewhat of a death metal assault. The vocals are still high-pitched, but the riffing is chaotic and wild, and is distinct from the riffs on the rest of the album.   

No metal album is complete without the obligatory ballad, and “Scaling Lies” is as close as Final Sign is willing to get, even though it gets pretty heavy. The remainder of the second half of the album isn’t quite as strong, but it certainly doesn’t show the band veering off course. "Madness Eternal" even throws some blastbeats into the mix, as well as the quintessential "whoa-oh-oh" section. Ultimately, “Hold High The Flame” is an album that’s going to appeal to all of those metal fans who dislike modern power metal under the (false) pretense that it has no power in it. This album absolutely exudes power. Final Sign embraces the ‘80s, and “Hold High The Flame” is an excellent release from a promising new band!

Be sure to check out and like Final Sign on Facebook!

Highlights

"Daring The Sun"

"Burn The Temple Down"

"Scaling Lies"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott

Ripper – Experiment of Existence

Ripper is a relatively new thrash band that hails from Chile, and is set to release their second full length album, “Experiment of Existence”, on Unspeakable Axe Records in early 2016. There are few band names in metal history as apt as Ripper’s. From start to finish, this album is like a fist in the face. Similar to the hyper-speed thrash of bands like Sadus, Hypnosia, or even labelmates Besieged, Ripper is a band that just doesn’t let up. When they do relent slightly, it’s because they’re unleashing monolithic breakdown riffs that are just as potent as the faster stuff. Additionally, the band’s singer comes from the school of Mille Petrozza, as he shreds his vocal cords with each word he yells out. This style is particularly effective given the consistently high speed the band plays at throughout the record.

Perhaps the biggest surprise on “Experiment of Existence” is the bass playing. The comparison to Sadus was no accident; Ripper’s bass playing is the second coming of Steve DiGiorgio. His playing is both active and audible, culminating in the bass interlude that is appropriately titled “Chromatic Fantasy”. “Anatomy of the Galaxies” even features a full-on bass solo that stands out amongst the thrashing fury provided by the rest of the band. The ending of “Stellar Evolution” likewise closes with some impressive bass playing. The other slight oddity about this record is the spacey tech-thrash approach. Voivod may have been first, but Vektor popularized this sound. Ripper is a little less overt with these influences than those two bands, but there is no doubt that some of the these songs have some incredibly dissonant riffs, and the wandering bass lines add to this effect. 

On the whole, “Experiment of Existence” is exactly as advertised: violent, whiplash-causing tech thrash. There’s not a moment on this album that doesn’t absolutely rule. It isn’t the most memorable album, but it also doesn’t fall prey to having every song sound the same, which is usually the only flaw these absurdly fast bands have. The band’s bassist is the differentiating factor that puts them ahead of many of their peers, but even taking that element away, this is still a killer death/thrash record.

Be sure to check out and like Ripper on Facebook!

Highlights

"Magnetic Solar Storms"

"Anatomy of the Galaxies"

"The Alpha Orionis"

Final Rating

4.5/5 or 90%. 

Written by Scott

Conflicted – Under Bio-lence

“Under Bio-lence” marks album two for Chilean thrashers Conflicted. This release is a short but sweet ode to old-school thrash, as it prominently displays the vast majority of the subgenre’s traits. In fact, one might even say it is too true to the subgenre. Conflicted doesn’t inject any elements of speed, death, black, crossover, or power metal in their sound, making “Under Bio-lence” a very pure sounding record. This means that bands like Exodus or Vio-lence are the primary influences on this album. Of course, this acts as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s hard to mess up this style, which is why this is a serviceable record that is loaded with awesome riffs, gang vocals, and other thrashy moments. On the other, it’s also hard to stand out. The only real way to do it is to write truly great songs, and that is unfortunately where Conflicted falls short. Despite having listened to this album numerous times, nothing has stuck yet.   

To be fair to the band, this album has perfect execution. The production is huge, meaning that the guitars manage to be both thick and crunchy. The single-axe attack means that the bass playing can be heard loud and clear, particularly during a guitar solo (“Legal Emptiness” and “Public Privacy” having the best examples; some other songs have added rhythm guitar backings while these ones forego it). The drums are balanced to perfection, meaning that you’ll never miss a cracking snare. Even the singing on this album is exactly what you’d expect. The vocalist’s accent is minimal, perhaps even non-existent. He’s also very clear, and doesn’t resort to growling at all. On the whole, “Under Bio-lence” is an album that delivers on its premise. While not offering anything unique, you can be sure that this record will fit as well in your thrash collection as the album artwork does.  

Be sure to check out and like Conflicted on Facebook!

Highlights

All of it

Final Rating

3.5/5 or 70%. 

Written by Scott