Don't have to take my word on it.
J.
What a great year for US power metal fans. Several bands like Helstar, Cage, Jag Panzer and Vicious Rumors have delivered a new album or will be going to do that this coming year. Now the time is ready for a new record from Missouris based Ancient Creation entitled Moonlight Monument. After their great full-length demo The Uprising in 2006 and their marvelous debut album Evolution Bound, which came to us through Dutch record label Melissa Records, it went quiet around this band. So quiet that I sometimes asked if they still existed. The answer was Yes, we are still working on a new record and it will take us some time. Finally this new album is ready and Heaven and Hell records will bring this into your living room. That we had to wait for such a long time had consequences for the bands line up. Musicians had come and gone throughout the years but with bass guitarist Andy Critz and founder guitarist Peter Nisenkier the band didnt change their songwriting style. Combine that with the vocals from Steve evlhrt Bentley (also the frontman from the local heroes Darkside) who is still responsible for the evil lyrics, three important elements are still present in Ancient Creation. The newcomers are Maxx Christopher on guitars and Kevin Keeton on drums, although their former drummer Mike The Beast Burns has played all drums on Moonlight Monument and Peter Nisenkier has played all guitars, except for a couple of leads, on this 2nd record of Ancient Creation.
So the new guys are really new, you might say. The album is produced and mixed by Adam Lichtenauer (King Diamond, Solitude Aeturnus).
The quality level of compositions and musicianship is once again astounding. The music has still original ideas and technical finesse in spades, with the guitarists Nisenkier and Christopher taking the lead followed by the tandem Critz and Burns. And all of this beautiful music is enhanced by the raw but melodic, at times even thrash metal-like, vocals of Steve evlhrt Bentley. The first track is Profane Destiny and right at the start you can hear the recognizable guitar of Peter Nisenkier. A heavy power metal song US style. This is followed by my favorite track of the album Black Reflection. What a great intro and after that, a great riff from Peter followed by complex arrangements that fit together wonderful in this magical song. If you listen carefully to this track you hear Mercyful Fate, Annihilator, Yngwie Malmsteen, Leatherwolf, Lizzy Borden, Obsession, Zero Hour and the early Fates Warning all together in one song. There are even some guest grunts in this track from Brett Scott. After this we get the Apocalypse. Again a song with the sound and structure that only Ancient Creation can create. This one clocks 7.48 minutes and is the longest track on the album. With Anguish begins spooky to galloping away further with again some brilliant guitar work from Peter and Maxx. In the middle section of this song they take some speed back and a beautiful instrumental part unravels itself, with some hints to the twin guitars from a certain band called Iron Maiden. Next in line is Through Prophets Eyes and again a great composition evolves here with complex structures and contra melody lines. With Drifting to Fade and Stories in the Snow the story continues. Great songs played by skilled musicians. After the instrumental At Dusk we have landed by the title track Moonlight Monument which did originally last for more than 15 minutes, but wisely the band took it back till 7.35 minutes. Moonlight Monument is full of tempo changes and has a refrain that is still in my head. Thank you for that Steve !
A you can read Ancient Creation is making long lasting songs but you dont get bored any second. So for any self-respecting US power metal fan, this is your chance to get one of the best albums made in this metal genre of this year. It will score high on my end list. That is for sure. Let us hope that Ancient Creation will be able to make the step to Europe to play some gigs over here. I will see you there somewhere in the front row!
Long live metal, Long live Ancient Creation !
Rating: 95 /100
http://www.digital-steel.com/DS/index.php?headpage=albumrevs&id=1901
J.
What a great year for US power metal fans. Several bands like Helstar, Cage, Jag Panzer and Vicious Rumors have delivered a new album or will be going to do that this coming year. Now the time is ready for a new record from Missouris based Ancient Creation entitled Moonlight Monument. After their great full-length demo The Uprising in 2006 and their marvelous debut album Evolution Bound, which came to us through Dutch record label Melissa Records, it went quiet around this band. So quiet that I sometimes asked if they still existed. The answer was Yes, we are still working on a new record and it will take us some time. Finally this new album is ready and Heaven and Hell records will bring this into your living room. That we had to wait for such a long time had consequences for the bands line up. Musicians had come and gone throughout the years but with bass guitarist Andy Critz and founder guitarist Peter Nisenkier the band didnt change their songwriting style. Combine that with the vocals from Steve evlhrt Bentley (also the frontman from the local heroes Darkside) who is still responsible for the evil lyrics, three important elements are still present in Ancient Creation. The newcomers are Maxx Christopher on guitars and Kevin Keeton on drums, although their former drummer Mike The Beast Burns has played all drums on Moonlight Monument and Peter Nisenkier has played all guitars, except for a couple of leads, on this 2nd record of Ancient Creation.
So the new guys are really new, you might say. The album is produced and mixed by Adam Lichtenauer (King Diamond, Solitude Aeturnus).
The quality level of compositions and musicianship is once again astounding. The music has still original ideas and technical finesse in spades, with the guitarists Nisenkier and Christopher taking the lead followed by the tandem Critz and Burns. And all of this beautiful music is enhanced by the raw but melodic, at times even thrash metal-like, vocals of Steve evlhrt Bentley. The first track is Profane Destiny and right at the start you can hear the recognizable guitar of Peter Nisenkier. A heavy power metal song US style. This is followed by my favorite track of the album Black Reflection. What a great intro and after that, a great riff from Peter followed by complex arrangements that fit together wonderful in this magical song. If you listen carefully to this track you hear Mercyful Fate, Annihilator, Yngwie Malmsteen, Leatherwolf, Lizzy Borden, Obsession, Zero Hour and the early Fates Warning all together in one song. There are even some guest grunts in this track from Brett Scott. After this we get the Apocalypse. Again a song with the sound and structure that only Ancient Creation can create. This one clocks 7.48 minutes and is the longest track on the album. With Anguish begins spooky to galloping away further with again some brilliant guitar work from Peter and Maxx. In the middle section of this song they take some speed back and a beautiful instrumental part unravels itself, with some hints to the twin guitars from a certain band called Iron Maiden. Next in line is Through Prophets Eyes and again a great composition evolves here with complex structures and contra melody lines. With Drifting to Fade and Stories in the Snow the story continues. Great songs played by skilled musicians. After the instrumental At Dusk we have landed by the title track Moonlight Monument which did originally last for more than 15 minutes, but wisely the band took it back till 7.35 minutes. Moonlight Monument is full of tempo changes and has a refrain that is still in my head. Thank you for that Steve !
A you can read Ancient Creation is making long lasting songs but you dont get bored any second. So for any self-respecting US power metal fan, this is your chance to get one of the best albums made in this metal genre of this year. It will score high on my end list. That is for sure. Let us hope that Ancient Creation will be able to make the step to Europe to play some gigs over here. I will see you there somewhere in the front row!
Long live metal, Long live Ancient Creation !
Rating: 95 /100
http://www.digital-steel.com/DS/index.php?headpage=albumrevs&id=1901
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