Date: April 2nd, 2024
Label: Fighter Records
Working on the news every day, I have to admit, mostly I do not pay attention to each band. Time is precious, so working on it, I hear only the beginning of the song the bands are promoting, and rarely are those who can catch my attention. When they do, they deserve a review. One of those bands is Grayhawk.
At the first listen, they sound like a German band that travelled back in the eighties. Another reason to write a review. And the most important is maybe the vocalist, Rev Taylor, who sounds like Jake Rogers’s twin brother. And finally, the whole album reminds me a lot of Visigoth. Since I have never heard about the band before, in order to write a proper review, I had to listen to the previous album “Keepers of the Flame”. Yes, that’s it! They are the keepers of the metal flame!
“Thunderheart” is the second full length that will be released on April 2nd via Fighter Records. As the first single, the title song was released, followed by the visualiser. Definitely, here we can say that it would be really easy to mix up Taylor and Rogers. The melody is impressive and infectious, excellent guitar work and very addicting song. It will turn out; the whole album is that way. Wait the 3rd minute and pay attention to vocals. Every goth metal singer could kill for it. Not everyone can sing that way. Either you are extremely gifted, or you are a trained vocalist. Here we have both.
The second single “Rock & Roll City” might be a cliche song to some, but in my mind, in my heart, this is just the song that is the core of metal and rock in global. Narrative part gives a special note to the song.
And there’s that old familiar feeling,
When the band begins to play.
And when the drums begin their beating,
All our heart will beat as one…
This is the ode to heavy metal that can stand very close to Saxon’s “Roadies Song” or “And the Bands Played On”.
But, to go back and make some order. “Spellstone” is the song that majestically opens the album with its galloping rhythm. Here is obvious that we are dealing with a seriously superb vocalist, but the rest of the band is not far behind. Drum section nails as well as the guitar solos.
“Ombria (City of the Night)” changes direction a bit. Although it is a bit slower, it is damn powerful lyrically and musically. In the voice you can feel the sadness, and in the overall musical experience, you can feel the nostalgic sound that always brings me back to the golden days of heavy metal.
“Steadfast” is a true epic song in which the drum solo stands out and steals the listener’s attention, leaving great guitar work and even excellent vocal performance in the dust. “Sacrifice Of Steel” kills with guitar intro, and that is what I like on this album. It is full of surprises, unexpected twists and turns. Choir brings back some nostalgic memories, takes me back to the time when I was fascinated with Running Wild. Of course, this song has nothing to do with RW, but those choir parts at first associate me with the band. With a killer guitar intro, powerful choir parts, nailing drum parts, in the “Sacrifice of Steel” some might recognize a bit of Manowar influence, too although the similar choir parts might be heard on past two Hammer King’s albums. But do not compare it with anything and anyone, just let the song play, run through your veins and enjoy a masterfully performed musical game. Hats off!
“The Last Mile” again demonstrates the guitar skills, pounding drums, melody and rhythm once again proves that we are dealing here with an amazing band whose opus is focused on the glory days of heavy metal. The choir once again gives a special stamp to the overall experience of not only the song but the entire album. “The Last Mile” with pounding rhythm is made for the live performances when the band seeks for the interaction with the fans. In my head I can clearly see metalheads with fists in the air in ecstasy. When the choir interferes, what else can you do than to sway and let the rhythm lead you.
As the previous songs were a bit slower, “Back in the Fight”, as its name reveals, brings the energy back. Back in the fight, ready for action… Back in the fight, the time has come to… And this is once again the fine sample of 80ies sound.
Greyhawk saved the best song to close the album, “The Golden Candle”. Absolute dominance of the vocals is what is absolutely expected from a trained singer.
The band declares themselves as a Seattle band. But from the beginning I was suspicious. First, the accent. Although I thought it might be German, researching a bit I found out Rev is from New Mexico, studied in Scotland and suddenly I could understand absolutely everything about the band… Its name, subject matter, influences…
Although Seattle is always referred to as grunge, and Nirvana will always be the first association on it, when it comes to metal the new trademark should be Grayhawk!
