The words ‘Power Metal’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ in their traditional meaning have lost their relevance these days. Instead of following trends or listening to the call of ‘hipper’ music Mystic Prophecy are on target for the spearhead of Heavy Metal with ‘Fireangel’. Mystified? Me too. Still, that is the proud proclamation at the top of ‘German Power Metal band’ Mystic Prophecy’s propaganda page. Despite singing in English, the band have attracted positive press in Der Fatherland to the extent that their sixth release ‘Fireangel’ recently sneaked into the German top 100. Cue a headline slot at the Cyprus Metal Festival. Scream for me Nicosia!
Unjustified cynical sneering aside, Mystic Prophecy have generated some kind of groundswell. The reasons for this are mysterious. They are long-haired Metal guys in Metal t-shirts playing Metal. What’s new? Not only do they look conservative, but on the evidence of ‘Fireangel’ their material is equally retro. It is difficult to classify it solely as Power Metal, because they have had the decency to mix it up a bit. The first couple of tracks are more reminiscent of ‘Seventh Star’-era Black Sabbath. R.D. Liapakis’s even bear some similarity to Glenn Hughes, although with more gravel in the lower range. From the off there are also some amusing Teutonic touches. The chanted ‘Hi-ho, hi-ho’ at the beginning of second track ‘Demon’s Crown’ is rousing but absolutely baffling.
From Manowar-esque third track ‘We Kill! You Die!’, ‘Fireangel’ launches into more familiar Power Metal territory. Pumping riff follows pumping riff evoking your late 1980s favourites, constantly accompanied by that oh-so familiar double kick drum. ‘Father Save Me’ could be Megadeth, if arch sneer-master Dave Mustaine could ever be prised off the microphone in favour of a Glenn Hughes impersonator. The influence of Mustaine can also be felt on closing track ‘Forever Betrayed’, which kicks in with the best riff of the album. Actually it’s ‘Hanger 18’, but hey! It’s tried and tested! It isn’t all Megadeth and Sabbath though. The beginning of ‘To The Devil I Pray’ features a Lacrimus Profundere-inspired introduction, adding that much needed gothic touch.
Every track features strong hooks and chorus, although some of them are pretty similar. It mostly works, but on ‘Fight Back The Light’ the multiple choruses are overambitious and messy. ‘Fireangel’ also features plenty of good guitar work, particularly from Greek finger twiddler Constantine. Opener ‘Across The Gates Of Hell’ offers a strong mid-pace groove nicely supplementing the vocals. Excellent twin lead work also features on ‘Fight Back The Light’. Mystic Prophecy clearly consider their guitar work a major selling point, but this is Power Metal. The guitar playing HAS to be excellent, surely? Good though it is, Dragonforce do this virtuoso stuff much better.
Ultimately ‘Fireangel’ suffers from two problems. The first is the boneheaded lyrics. Mystic Prophecy are also highly conservative in terms of lyrical content. The album is based on the age old conflict between good and evil, and by age old I mean Black Sabbath were doing it right back in 1969! Worse, Mystic Prophecy are probably on the wrong side. No Metal fan wants to hear ‘I call you my lord from the depths of my heart, from the first day I was born I carry your holy thorns’. Elsewhere they are just about ambiguous enough to survive a reviewer-slam but the evidence for the prosecution is strong. They ask ‘the father’ to forgive them, and there is flapping about sin and other matters of zero significance. Needless to say, Christians are un-Metal weeds and Christian Metal bands an oxymoronic impossibility.
A graver problem still is that despite Mystic Prophecy’s evident musical dexterity they just aren’t very interesting. So you have succeeded in exactly replicating a Power Metal band from the late 1980s? You have carefully modelled your hair on them, you wear their t shirts and your lyrics the same? Congratulations. It’s been done….
http://www.mysticprophecy.net
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