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THE LAST ALLIANCEBATTLELORENapalm Records CDI have actually been following this band from their debut issue, so I feel in fact really competent to write about their latest release. In fact, I’m not their fan, but I’ve had a chance to check out all of their five full-lengths and even make a few interviews with them. The Last Alliance is their newest opus and perhaps the best so far, or should I say the most serious. Its less epic compared to its predecessors, but still, album has this symphonic attitude. Sword’s Song, their 2nd output was up-to-date maybe the best album from them, but The Last Alliance is more peaceful, yet more dramatic and natural. Female vocals are now in the front line and male voices are just grunting. Ok, maybe in the background you can hear some clean male vocals, but they’re more like whispering. Once again, the whole musical concept depends on keyboards, but the strong guitar riffs sometimes took the leading role as well. Check out the 3rd track entitled The Great Gathering and you’ll find nice and beautiful melodies from both mentioned instruments. Among my favorites from this album I’ll also name songs like Guardians and the ballad-like Daughter of the Sun. As most of you already guessed, topics are related to Tolkien’s novels one more time, but you cannot find any geographical or personal name. I’ll not comment this decision, this is up to the band, but I can surely give my compliments to cover-artwork which is one of the best this year. Well, as a matter of fact, Battlelore is not as well-received as masters of the genre: Blind Guardian and Summoning, but, on the other hand, during their existence they have been constantly trying to offer us their vision of the Middle-Earth and beyond. I know that English reviewers will describe their ways as too naïve, but think twice before making a judgment about The Last Alliance. This opus indeed has something to offer and the musical expression is too complex to call it just naïve. But, once again, they need to develop and maybe even leave Tolkien-orientation to achieve more originality and creativity because it’s really hard to even come closer to untouchable sovereigns BG and Summoning. Marko Miranovic (7) |
PUBLISHED ISSUESMETAL SOUND #mpu vorbereitung |
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