Year : 2019
Style : Melodic Power Metal
Country : Germany
Audio : 320 kbps + scans + Video
Size : 157 mb
Bio:
The band was founded in Munich, once known as Lizard, in the year 1993.After four international CD releases, including via Century Media Records, and extensive touring with Blind Guardian, Grave Digger and many other bands, the former "Metal Heart Magazine - Newcomer" StormHammer now is back with a strong brand new cast around the founding members Manni Ewender and Horst Tessman.After a long time and search for suitable musicians we are proud to present our new line-up with singer Jürgen Dachl and guitarist Bernd Intveen. Influenced by their previous work in other metal bands (e.g. Diabolos Dust, Shadowland, van Langen), the sound of StormHammer will change a little bit!On drums there was a change again - Felix Weise was replaced by Chris Widmann, who some of you will remember from a previous StormHammer line-up.The band is currently working hard on their forthcoming 5th album titled "Echoes of a lost paradise".The release date is scheduled for 12.06.2015.
Album:
STORMHAMMER is back for their seventh album, Seven Seals, inspired by a hidden vault in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in India. Exploring the “moral dilemma,” in the band’s words, of wondering what is behind the door, this album takes these themes and translates them into a commanding album with speed, heaviness, and stunning instrumentals.The opening of the album, “Sleepwalker,” hits hard, and even harder with growling, groveling vocals to start the album off. Hearing them here was welcome; believe it or not, I can count the number of albums I reviewed here with groveling vocals on one hand. Most of what I get is melodic vocals, with varying ranges of success. Here, the singer knows his range, sticks to it, and the transition between vocal styles is unique, sometimes pleasantly surprising, and engaging. The vocals on this track weren’t at their strongest, but the music was exciting and got me pumped for the rest of the album.The next two tracks are also heavy, but in their own ways. “Prevail” was more anthemic, with more groveling-melodic vocal combos. These, with the instrumentals were uplifting and I can imagine it being a great crowd-participation song at a concert. “Under Spell” was all speed, with more melodic singing. More of a traditional power metal song, with great, clear production and I would love to see it live. “Taken by the Devil” is the album’s designated slow ballad. The guitars and vocalizations here are really nice and I enjoyed the orchestration in the song, and the power punch near the end.Like “Under Spell,” the next three songs, “Seven Seals”, “Your Nemesis”, and “Keep Me Safe” were more traditional power metal songs, with speed and thrash elements thrown in. “Your Nemesis” is the fastest track on the album and the screeching vocals and melodic chorus are a unique and solid combination. My favorite song off the album is “Downfall.” It’s the heaviest on the album, I loved the vocal blend, the melodic guitars, and the refrain at the end. I also enjoyed how “Deal with the Dead” featured a tri-tone and snuck it in without sounding like a rip-off of “Black Sabbath.”I was impressed with the closing song. “Old Coals” began with a classic riff and added elements of power and symphonic metal as it progressed, tying itself well to the rest of the album while giving it a stand-out finish. Overall, it’s a fun, powerhouse of an album and I’s love to see it be performed live. It’s especially great for fans who like the more melodic side of power metal, but aren’t into really long intros, outros, or instrumental breaks. That said, it’s also a great introduction to power metal for newer fans.
Line Up:
Matthias Kupka - Vocals - See also: Emergency Gate, Still It Cries, Sinnestäter, ex-Suidakra
Horst Tessmann - Bass (1993-present) - See also: ex-Lizard, ex-S.P.Q.R., ex-Steamhammer
Manny "Maniac" Ewender - Guitars (rhythm) (1993-present)
Chris Widmann - Drums (2003-2008, 2014-present) - See also: ex-Emergency Gate, ex-Visions of Atlantis (live)
Tracklist:
01. Sleepwalker
02. Prevail
03. Under The Spell
04. Taken By The Devil
05. Seven Seals
06. Your Nemesis
07. Keep Me Safe
08. One more Way
09. Downfall
10. Deal With The Dead
11. Old Coals
+ Video "Under The Spell" (Official Video)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
