There has been no album in recent memory that I have been
more worried for than Holy Grail’s “Ride The Void”. Their debut reminded me of
Black Tide, a band that burned me (and many other fans) some years ago. Both
bands released killer heavy metal albums that had hints of metalcore influence.
Black Tide abandoned metal altogether with their second record, but the good
news is that Holy Grail’s new album is a logical continuation of “Crisis In
Utopia”: a fantastic speed metal album that adds in other elements in a unique way.
On first listen, “Ride The Void” is completely overwhelming.
There is an endless barrage of guitar solos, almost to the point where song
structures are difficult to grasp. The insane catchiness that existed on the
first album is found here, but it isn’t until subsequent spins that it becomes
obvious. Part of the reason this is such a tough album to digest is because of
the sheer number of unique influences the band brings in. A song like “The
Great Artifice” introduces the thrashiest riffing on the album, but also uses a
couple of metalcore trademarks in the chorus. For example, the use of harsh
vocals (in the “Why ask why” part) and the light, almost airy vocals of James
Paul Luna resemble some metalcore acts. In addition, the classical influence is
back; “Wake Me When It’s Over” is the obligatory classical interlude, and other
tracks feature guitar leads that are very classically inspired (including one
that is reminiscent of a Savatage lead). The final area where the diversity of
this record becomes apparent is in the drumming of Tyler Meahl. He won’t get
enough credit for his work on this record, but he has channeled Dave Lombardo
and Robb Reiner’s (Anvil) ability to adapt his drumming to the music around
him. Whether the guitars are playing thrashy stuff, solos, more straightforward
heavy/power metal riffs, or even tremolo picking, Meahl always finds the
correct beat to keep things interesting. Speaking of guitar solos, the duo of
Eli Santana and new member Alex Lee (ex-Bonded By Blood) might just be the best
guitar team around. Their shredding fretwork is relentless throughout the
record, both in terms of the amount of solos, and the speed of them. This is
one area where the band has made a huge improvement over their last record.
Despite the praise I’ve given to “Ride The Void”, it is not
for everyone. If you were on the fence about the last record because of the
questionable metal moments, you’ll definitely hate this album. There are more
of those moments here; luckily however, the harsh vocals are much better this
time around (on "Crosswinds" they are indistinguishable from a typical death metal vocalist). In addition, the songwriting isn’t as consistently strong as
before. The second half of "Ride The Void" is definitely stronger than the first, but both sides have a couple of weaker tracks. Also, James Paul Luna’s vocal performance is a bit weaker overall, as he uses some strange melodies (see the intro of "Sleep of Virtue"). It’s
still a great album, but when you release one of the best speed metal records
of the past decade (“Crisis In Utopia”), it becomes impossible to beat, or even
match it.
Be sure to check out and like Holy Grail on Facebook!
Highlights
"Crosswinds"
"Sleep of Virtue"
"Silence The Scream"
Final Rating
4.4/5 or 88%.
Written by Scott