Sweden’s Screamer are another traditional metal band whom have taken the Accept, Iron Maiden and various blueprints of metal glory under their wings. In fact the opener actually sounds a little like Quicksand Dream rather than the aforementioned, the guitar tone and early incarnations of NWOBHM is clear to hear and what a welcoming sound this is. Most of the releases vocal harmonies hit the nail on the head. Letting the side down on this release is the pretty much uninspired record cover, it’s not really that exciting now is it? Screamer are another one of these bands gleaming in NWOBHM and traditional metal ideas and thankfully they have an definite talent and art form pretty much nailed in terms of quality and the ability to create songs that are both memorable and true.
This is the US power metal group, not to be confused with the many bands named Widow around the world. Formed some 11 years ago, this is album number 4. This is particularly high octane melody driven music with passion, especially from extremely strong vocals. Opener ‘Lady Twilight’ displays these good pointers perfectly, this track in particular is filled with exquisite guitar work, more than you can shake a stick at, and with this I find comparisons to latter day Leatherwolf and that cannot be a bad thing now can it? There are wicked guitar harmonies and when the pace quickens on tracks such as ‘Take Hold of the Night’ you have a smile on your face from ear to ear. Out of the current crop of releases from this label, this by far stands out amongst the crowd. Widow are infectious, memorable and display an effortless talent for arranging songs that mean something and are topped with many sprinkles of melody, chugging guitar and hooks. I feel like I have known this album all my life, this is a remarkable release.
Sweden’s Embodied mix traditional elements with a modern approach to some older melodic death metal releases. The vocals sound a little nasal but the music remains vibrant and true to oneself, especially the opener ‘As I Speak’. ‘Northern Lights’ makes use of the Gothenburg sound but the challenge within this genre is to rise above complacency and the groove aspect that is very much present in recent times. There is simply a good mix of music on this effort, you just have to open your mind and ignore the trend followers that may slate a release because this is fresh and ingenious in the song arrangements and their structure.
http://wearescreamer.com
http://www.myspace.com/theembodied
http://www.myspace.com/widow
Paul Maddison
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