Released by: AFM Records
Release Date: February 9th, 2019
Genre: Metal
Links: Facebook
Line Up:
Herman Frank (guitars)
Rick Altzi (vocals)
Andre Hilgers (drums)
Michael Müller (bass)
Heiko Schröder (guitars)
Tracklist:
01 – Until The End
02 – Fear
03 – Terror
04 – Sinners
05 – Hatred
06 – Hail&Row
07 – Hitman
08 – Stay Down
09 – Rock You
10 – Don’t Cross The Line
11 – Are You Ready
12 – Wings Of Destiny
13 – Waiting For The Night
14 – Lost In Heaven |
When a musician has sealed their legacy from their past endeavors, one wouldn’t fault them for sitting on their laurels… who am I kidding that’s a load of rubbish. Legacy leaning is one of the things that make some bands look terrible. Sure, it’s fine to pay homage to what you’ve done, but if you started making music to create a legacy, you did it for the wrong reasons. Someone like Herman Frank could certainly kick back and brag about being a part of one of the most important German metal bands of all-time, Accept, during their heyday, or remind others that he had some Internationl renown with his band Victory, but instead he has continued to pump out top notch music, some of which comes backed by his own name. In 2009, Frank embarked on his solo debut with the album Loyal To None, and has kept at it for four albums, including the newest Fight the Fear.
One thing for sure, from every album, it is very obvious why he managed to go lick for lick with the mighty Wolf Hoffman back in his Accept days, as his chops are just as impeccable as ever. Clearly age is just a number as his fingers are just as nimble as ever, blazing over the fretboard like nobody’s business. Since adding the vocal talents of Rick Altzi on his second solo offering, they have created a Heavy Metal titan that is in that sweet pocket of Traditional Heavy Metal without sounding dated, even having moments hailing back to his time in Accept at times. This is a scorcher from start to finish shining on tracks like “Hail Row,” “Until the End,” “Wings of Destiny,” and “Sinners.” Altzi’s voice is as key to these songs as is Herman’s guitar work, making them a dynamic duo of metalic proportions.
2019 is off to a great start with this powerhouse of an album leading things off. Herman Frank and Fight the Fear continue to show he’s a force to be reckoned with and that his bandmates are in a take no prisoners mentality when it comes to dishing out some fantastic new metal for the world to behold. If you’ve enjoyed the last few albums from Herman Frank, this one fits in nicely with the rest. Prepare to raise thine horns and bang your head to this metal masterpiece.
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: 8/10