Random Track of the Day

[Trollheart]

Title: "Naschtok is Born"
Artist: Aina
Format: Band
Year 2003
Genre: Power metal
Nationality: German
Taken from: Debut (and only) album Days of Rising Doom
Familiarity with artist: I've heard the album
Familiarity with album: As I say
Familiarity with track: But didn't think much of it
Comments: Rock operas can be hit-and-miss, so much more so metal operas, but if there are two subgenres at least suited to the latter then it would be power metal or symphonic metal. This is a bit of both, but that's kind of the problem. Aina (who, I think and don't really care, are some sort of so-called supergroup made up of members from other power metal bands) try to be all things to all men, and kind of fall between the stools in so doing. I listened to the album once, found I was very unimpressed with it, and never picked it up again. Of course, being an opera, you need to follow the plot, and taking one track out of context will always weaken its appreciation, but rest assured: the opera ain't that good, so you're definitely not missing anything. Basically, if you hate power metal you'll hate this, if you love power metal you'll be well aware there is far better available than this. Mediocre, at best.

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[Trollheart]

Looks like this got past me yesterday, so here's a two-fer.


Title: "Prayers of Steel"
Artist: Avenger
Format: Band
Year 1985
Genre: Power metal
Nationality: German
Taken from: Debut (and only) album of the same name
Familiarity with artist: In name only
Familiarity with album: Zero
Familiarity with track:
Comments: Oh you just have to cringe at these eighties power metal band names don't you? I mean, come on! Avenger? Prayers of fucking Steel? Do me a lemon! No wonder nobody took them seriously. Seems after their prayers of steel went unanswered they changed their name to Furious Rage, then must have realised either that the first word is superfluous (you can't be in a calm rage can you? Controlled maybe) or that they weren't quite that angry and became just Rage. Oh ho ho. Did they do any better with their new name? Hell yes they did! 25 albums, 5 compilation albums, 4 live albums and no less than 8 boxsets! Guess all they needed was a name change after all. Fair play to them. And still recording and gigging today. Who would have believed it?

As for their Avenger days, well, look, with titles on this album such as "Swords Made of Steel" (certainly better than fellow power metal band Slightly Miffed's inferior "Swords Made of Butter"), "Assorted by Satan" and, um, "Faster than Hell", you know what you're in for. Just try to keep the chuckling to a minimum, huh? I think it's either meant to be a thunderstorm or the roar of some fearsome beast, but it sounds more like they're rolling steel barrels down a flight of steps! To be fair, they're not what I'd call standard power metal, more a sense of Saxon or Angelwitch about them. Hard and heavy, for sure. Ah, there's talent in there; they just had to change the silly name and they were on their way. Feel a bit bad for pre-judging them and slagging them off now. Though not that bad.

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Title: "In Dreams"
Artist: Ancient Cross
Format: Band
Year 2004
Genre: Progressive Metal
Nationality: American
Taken from: Debut (and only) album Ancient Cross
Familiarity with artist: Zero
Familiarity with album:
Familiarity with track:
Comments: Isn't that odd? Two artists who had only one album (well, under that name anyway). All right, I cheated slightly, but they brought up another fucking Ayreon track and I will be triple cursed and damned before I will listen to another fucking Ayreon track, so sue me. This sounds better anyway. Well, the long-drawn-out death rattle of a man dying from terminal flatulence sounds better than having to listen to another bleeding Ayreon song! Kicks up into a pretty sub-Maiden riff though soon enough, and perhaps there's a reason these guys had one album and were then heard from no more. Did they, too, change their name, and go on to be very successful indeed? No. No, they did not. Seriously, how you can label a band "active" when their last release was over 20 years ago is beyond me, but then, that's EM for you. This is okay, but it's nothing you haven't heard a million times before, and better too.

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