Focus on Metal Network: March 2012

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Devastating new Release from A Sound Of Thunder

Everyone knows I like my metal tunes to come in around 4 minutes.

A Sound Of Thunder's new release Out Of The Darkness opens with a track that comes in at 8:31 that's almost the dreaded jam band song length. And ya know what? This track is so strong that I never noticed until I was looking at the track list.

What puts this one in a leg like that? Two words…Nina Osegueda!!!

This is one vocalist that is absolutely sonically stunning. I am blown away by her vocal abilities and she ranks right up there with Veronica Freeman and Angela Gossow in this reviewers book.

The scream at the beginning of "Fight Until The End" will firmly cement the Veronica comparison.

This is some first rate power metal on this release, the bands second after Metal Renaissance in 2011. These guys have not let up so far and I can't wait to hear what comes next.

Besides the killer pipes from Nina there's a killer group of players in here too. Founder Josh Schwartz lays down some great guitar riffs topped with old school melodic hooky solo lines. This guy is no one trick pony. Stylistically the ten tracks on this one touch all styles and they are done to perfection.

The rhythm section? Dead nuts on beat. No over playing. No derivative masturbatory double bass over everything. The Chris Haden keeps the groove and new bassist Ben Washburn keeps it all right in the pocket weaving the drums and guitar together.

Best tracks? There ain't no bad ones but if I had to cough up the top three they would be "Fight Till The End", "Murderous Horde" and "Kill That Bitch"

Bottom Line: Melodic. Killer vox. Top notch production. This one's a metal masterpiece. Buy this now and metal your nuts off!!!

Thank You Lance and all the folks at Nightmare Records for continuing to put out killer metal like this.

I urge all you metal heads to hit the Nightmare Records site and check out all the metal goodness in store there.