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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Excelsis - Standing Stone + │
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│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Oct-19-2013 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2008 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........11 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.escelsis.ch ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Excelsis Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Standing Stone Label : Dragonslayer ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ For a band that have been running as long as ║ │
│║ Excelsis, it is curious that the most anyone can ║ │
│║ usually tell you about them is that they had a ║ │
│║ song included on the end of Iron SaviorÆs ║ │
│║ æUnificationÆ CD after winning some sort of ║ │
│║ magazine competition. Maybe the fact that the ║ │
│║ Swiss outfit have continued on since with barely ║ │
│║ a flicker of interest from the world at large is ║ │
│║ explanation enough as to why that sort of ║ │
│║ promotion never caught on. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Being as ignorant to their movements as the ║ │
│║ next man in the street, I was surprised to see ║ │
│║ just how consistently they have been turning out ║ │
│║ CDs, and even though æThe standing stoneÆ was ║ │
│║ their first full-length in 4 years, that it is ║ │
│║ their 5th overall without any sort of serious ║ │
│║ label backing is still testament to strong ║ │
│║ perseverance if nothing else. While the epic ║ │
│║ power/folk metal style Excelsis play is ║ │
│║ certainly far more en vogue than when they ║ │
│║ started out in 1996, they have still managed to ║ │
│║ maintain an identity of their own and donÆt ║ │
│║ conform to the more typical sprightly variant of ║ │
│║ the style that is doing the rounds these days. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The songs are punctuated by flutes and pipes ║ │
│║ played by a few of the band members as well as ║ │
│║ the keyboards, which are used strictly for ║ │
│║ setting atmosphere and the odd symphonic ║ │
│║ arrangement rather than as a lead instrument, ║ │
│║ but the music remains grounded in down-tempo ║ │
│║ epic metal rather than a fully-formed folk/power ║ │
│║ combination. Mⁿnggu BeyelerÆs vocals are very ║ │
│║ much reminiscent of Chris Boltendahl, gruff and ║ │
│║ rough-edged yet still oddly melodic, and are ║ │
│║ quite suitable for the gritty tone that ║ │
│║ underpins their style at all times. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ While Excelsis are quite successful with æThe ║ │
│║ standing stoneÆ in crafting a sweeping ║ │
│║ atmosphere, the final product is not wholly ║ │
│║ satisfactory, with too much repetition in song ║ │
│║ structure to keep any surprises in store for the ║ │
│║ listener. With nearly every song running 7 ║ │
│║ minutes or longer, and most broken up by some ║ │
│║ sort of acoustic interlude, the band have ║ │
│║ undermined their own good work by signposting ║ │
│║ exactly where the songs are going to go well in ║ │
│║ advance. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The lack of urgency in the songs also becomes ║ │
│║ glaringly apparent early on, and very few of ║ │
│║ them ever pay off by delivering a sudden shift ║ │
│║ in tempo. This build-up with lack of conclusion ║ │
│║ is the equivalent of watching a historical epic ║ │
│║ film with the battle scenes cut out, and the CD ║ │
│║ suffers terribly for it, in places becoming a ║ │
│║ tiresome slog rather than the heroic journey ║ │
│║ that the band are aiming for. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The frustration levels only increase when the ║ │
│║ quality of some of the individual songs is taken ║ │
│║ into account. ôArmour of Godö, through some ║ │
│║ excellent guitar playing, actually manages to ║ │
│║ gradually build some bruised intensity and makes ║ │
│║ better use of its extended running time than ║ │
│║ most of the other songs. On the other hand, ║ │
│║ ôLost chamberö is the proud owner of some ║ │
│║ typically gentle folk melodies that are used to ║ │
│║ create a wind-swept romantic ode. The title ║ │
│║ track is one of the few that actually delivers ║ │
│║ on its promise, and its shifts in pace and style ║ │
│║ emphasize what could have been they had been ║ │
│║ used more liberally throughout the CD. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ æThe standing stoneÆ is a tough one to describe ║ │
│║ fully, for while the individual songs do nothing ║ │
│║ wrong in their own right, the CD as a whole ║ │
│║ cannot come with a strong recommendation. A ║ │
│║ little bit more imagination when it comes to ║ │
│║ building their admittedly compelling melodies ║ │
│║ into full songs is required from Excelsis if ║ │
│║ they ever intend to be serious competitors. The ║ │
│║ CD flirts with excellence, but in the end the ║ │
│║ biggest thing that can be taken away is a sense ║ │
│║ of anticlimax. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Yleitig [03:18] │
│ 02 - Soldiers of Heaven [05:33] │
│ 03 - The March [09:03] │
│ 04 - For Death and Glory [08:22] │
│ 05 - Lost Chamber [05:39] │
│ 06 - The Silent Song [06:27] │
│ 07 - The Siege [07:18] │
│ 08 - Armour of Gods [07:57] │
│ 09 - Standing Stone [07:10] │
│ 10 - Fire [06:58] │
│ 11 - The Classic Chamber [02:26] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [70:11 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
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