Released by: Frontiers Records
Release Date: December 2nd, 2011
Genre: Melodic Progressive Metal, Neo Classical Metal
Links: http://www.royalhunt.com/
Line Up:
André Andersen – keyboards
D.C. Cooper – vocals
Allan Sørensen – drums
Andreas Passmark – bass
Jonas Larsen – guitars
Tracklist:
01. Introduction
02. One More Day
03. Another Man Down
04. An Empty Shell
05. Hard Rain’s Coming
06. Half Past Loneliness
07. Show Me How To Live
08. Angel’s Gone
For bands who have an considerable amount of years in the music industry, and for fans following them we usually have to decide or are settle on which era of the band we like the most. In the case of Denmark’s Royal Hunt, I could undeniably say that when I heard D.C Cooper on what is probably the band’s most complete and most controversial album to date “Paradox”, I was blown away by his vocal range, and the band’s symphonic approach to each song. Great album and one of my favorites of all time period, and I mean no disrespect to against John West, or Mark Boals or even their first singer Henrik Brockmann because they all contributed solid vocals for each time period of the band.
D.C and the band’s founder keyboard player and guitar player André Andersen crafted together a magnum opus the years that they we’re together, and the end results garner Royal Hunt some known popularity in the metal and progressive circles overseas in the markets of Japan and Europe in the 90’s. Hard to argue with the catalog of material and lucky for the band that they listen to their fans and brought back Cooper who had been out of the scene for a while since his days with Silent Force. Back in the fold again the band set out to acquire that once golden touch of their most beloved era.
Here we have “Show Me How To Live” the third album with Pennsylvania native Cooper back on the helms and from the onset I see the guys are back into form generating that same melodic progressive approach in the leading opener the marching symphonic arrangements brings back flashes of Paradox again in “One More Day”. After listening to the opener you realize one thing, and that is D.C. Cooper is a vocal god and still sounds as great as ever, his range has not left and it has been hibernating in a vocal chamber all these years.
The symphonic elements are brought back by Andersen who really has never abandoned that true Royal Hunt sound they created from the beginning, it has just been tweaked a little through the years with each different vocalist style. Cooper comes back strong on the easily paced tempo track “Another Man Down”, but I wished it had been a little more upbeat. The bands first single “Hard Rain’s Coming” is a nice choice which displays what the group does best, but when it comes to premier songs you have the quick shifting melodic and symphonic alliance of “An Empty Shell” and the best track on the record; “Half Past Loneliness” which has those explosive choruses that the band has been known for. The title track feels like an evolved Hunt sound, still has those soaring melodic solos and that crisp neo-classical sound is still eminent at its core and is one hell of an epic toppling battlefields and clocking over 10 minutes.
My impressions come in and I can’t help to be excited that D.C Cooper is back with the band, weather is for this album only or for more in the future, which I would advice. I have a few minor gripes with this one though, while the production is golden and the musicianship is to be expected superb, I was left wanting more as the record only hits the 42 minute mark with a whooping 7 songs in total. A couple of the songs are just fine and some can’t really be compared to the masterpiece that was “Paradox” but it does come pretty damn close and the record picks up momentum towards the end. But to be fair I’m not going to sit here and say the album lacks anything other then probably more time with this same line up together in the studio working on something again for a follow up. I really do hope is not a one time thing with D.C he is the voice of this band even with his limited time with them. I guess the end result is a bit incomplete, some tracks work better then others and the final call is up to the listener, as for me I grade it as a solid effort with a wait and see approach as to what is yet to come….hopefully.
Written by Denys
Ratings Denys 8/10
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