Backslash - Insanity
Point - 20449 - 2000
By Pendragon
Comparisons can be both a blessing and a curse. There is no question that the name Warlock jumps out when listening to this disc and a whole lot of What if...? questions cross my mind. What if Doro was still in Warlock? Would they sound like this? If they re-formed now would it sound like this? Faster and more polished as Backslash are? What does Doro think of this band herself?" Who knows. The good thing is that Backslash is definitely filling a hole felt by fans of the old Warlock material that current Doro material will never satisfy while it has a more modern feel albeit still good stuff. As one of those fans I know that my heart swelled with joy upon hearing such a treat as Insanity, a blind purchase no less
Like that fellow German band I keep mentioning, Backslash have a powerhouse female vocalist who sings in a metal style and does not sound like she lost her way from a opera house and ended up in front of a Stratovarious clone band. Heike is not that similar to Doro when she is in a more laid-back mode but come time to belt it out the similarities are striking to vintage Doro. From her performance here and command of English (one mistake - humilation for humiliation) I would say that Heike Grebita is the top female vocalist today in metal that I have heard. She adds some nice twists to the vocal melodies, the emotion is on high, and to hear her switch into power mode is pure delight. Heike Grebita is not a mere Doro clone (can't see much wrong with that though haha), she has her own sound as well which will no doubt attract a good cult following over the years if the band continues on from where they are now with this excellent second album.
The band is tight with some good double-bass work here and there (never over-done) and some of the guitar harmonies remind me of Judas Priest, its a good change to hear that instead of the overwhelming Maiden influences that abound in power metal today.
The music is a good mix of power and tradition, and varies the pace at the right times over the duration of the disc. To bring up another Warlock comparison, it has a similar feel to the first 2 Warlock albums but musically has a lot more to offer with more original ideas and superior musicianship.
Insanity is chock full of highlights but some stand-outs for me are the opener, 'Make Me Walk', which has a upbeat feel, and 'Turn the Page of Time', which has a great atmospheric build to a great chorus. The title-track also has a great anthemic quality to it, a power metal "hymn" to use the European phrase. 'Angel from Hell' is also quite a treat, this is how I like power metal with female vocals to sound.
This version of Insanity came with a bonus sampler disc (The Attack) of Point/Black Arrow acts that included a song from the previous Backslash album. I'll be going back for more alright! Insanity can be listened to many times over.
Point - 20449 - 2000
By Pendragon
Comparisons can be both a blessing and a curse. There is no question that the name Warlock jumps out when listening to this disc and a whole lot of What if...? questions cross my mind. What if Doro was still in Warlock? Would they sound like this? If they re-formed now would it sound like this? Faster and more polished as Backslash are? What does Doro think of this band herself?" Who knows. The good thing is that Backslash is definitely filling a hole felt by fans of the old Warlock material that current Doro material will never satisfy while it has a more modern feel albeit still good stuff. As one of those fans I know that my heart swelled with joy upon hearing such a treat as Insanity, a blind purchase no less
Like that fellow German band I keep mentioning, Backslash have a powerhouse female vocalist who sings in a metal style and does not sound like she lost her way from a opera house and ended up in front of a Stratovarious clone band. Heike is not that similar to Doro when she is in a more laid-back mode but come time to belt it out the similarities are striking to vintage Doro. From her performance here and command of English (one mistake - humilation for humiliation) I would say that Heike Grebita is the top female vocalist today in metal that I have heard. She adds some nice twists to the vocal melodies, the emotion is on high, and to hear her switch into power mode is pure delight. Heike Grebita is not a mere Doro clone (can't see much wrong with that though haha), she has her own sound as well which will no doubt attract a good cult following over the years if the band continues on from where they are now with this excellent second album.
The band is tight with some good double-bass work here and there (never over-done) and some of the guitar harmonies remind me of Judas Priest, its a good change to hear that instead of the overwhelming Maiden influences that abound in power metal today.
The music is a good mix of power and tradition, and varies the pace at the right times over the duration of the disc. To bring up another Warlock comparison, it has a similar feel to the first 2 Warlock albums but musically has a lot more to offer with more original ideas and superior musicianship.
Insanity is chock full of highlights but some stand-outs for me are the opener, 'Make Me Walk', which has a upbeat feel, and 'Turn the Page of Time', which has a great atmospheric build to a great chorus. The title-track also has a great anthemic quality to it, a power metal "hymn" to use the European phrase. 'Angel from Hell' is also quite a treat, this is how I like power metal with female vocals to sound.
This version of Insanity came with a bonus sampler disc (The Attack) of Point/Black Arrow acts that included a song from the previous Backslash album. I'll be going back for more alright! Insanity can be listened to many times over.
