Pharaoh has come up with another winner. Be Gone is in the vein of its excellent predecessor, The Longest Night, but it features some new twists and turns. The first thing that struck me was the excellent guitar melodies and leads, which surpass anything Matt has done before. The riffage itself is quite enjoyable, although so far it is not quite as engaging overall to me as on The Longest Night. The songs on Be Gone are not as immediately appealing, which could speak well to this album's ability to be a grower over time. There are no straightforward energetic asskickers like "I Am the Hammer" on this one, and there's only one track that has a somewhat epic feel.
Tim Aymar's vocals are consistently impressive on Be Gone and more accomplished than they were on The Longest Night. That said, fewer vocal lines have stuck with me so far. There seem to be fewer obvious hooks and infectious vocal melodies on display.
I enjoyed all nine tracks on Be Gone, but "Telepath" stands out as perhaps the best song Pharaoh has ever written. It is a bit more involved than is typical for the band, the leads are amazing, and it's catchy as hell. "Rats and Rope" is noteworthy for its fun classic thrash lyrics. The opener "Speak to Me" is another favorite of mine. Two songs, "Dark New Life" and the title track, especially, have a different feel to them than any previous material from the band. The former features an interesting stuttering riff that morphs into something more Maidenesque, and the latter has a groovy, almost psychedelic vibe to it at times.
Congratulations go to Pharaoh on going 3 for 3 on their albums, and I hope they kick ass at the Keep It True festival.
Tim Aymar's vocals are consistently impressive on Be Gone and more accomplished than they were on The Longest Night. That said, fewer vocal lines have stuck with me so far. There seem to be fewer obvious hooks and infectious vocal melodies on display.
I enjoyed all nine tracks on Be Gone, but "Telepath" stands out as perhaps the best song Pharaoh has ever written. It is a bit more involved than is typical for the band, the leads are amazing, and it's catchy as hell. "Rats and Rope" is noteworthy for its fun classic thrash lyrics. The opener "Speak to Me" is another favorite of mine. Two songs, "Dark New Life" and the title track, especially, have a different feel to them than any previous material from the band. The former features an interesting stuttering riff that morphs into something more Maidenesque, and the latter has a groovy, almost psychedelic vibe to it at times.
Congratulations go to Pharaoh on going 3 for 3 on their albums, and I hope they kick ass at the Keep It True festival.
