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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Skelator - Agents of Power + │
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│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Dec-29-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2012 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........16 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Skelator Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Agents of Power Label : Metal On Metal ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Skelator would not be the first band in the ║ │
│║ power metal spectrum to pay conceptual tribute ║ │
│║ to Michael Moorcock's most famous creation, the ║ │
│║ albino fantasy antihero Elric of Melnibone. ║ │
│║ However, I feel that their brand of working ║ │
│║ man's US speed and power, with aesthetically ║ │
│║ bears similarities to predecessors like Virgin ║ │
│║ Steele, Twisted Tower Dire, Manilla Road, ║ │
│║ Manowar and other domestic gods, is particularly ║ │
│║ suited to telling the tales of the Black Sword, ║ │
│║ since it instinctively carries this sense of ║ │
│║ nostalgia which can draw the listener back to ║ │
│║ that formative period of the earlier 80s when ║ │
│║ the works of Moorcock, Lieber, Howard and other ║ │
│║ lesser known fantasy staples in the shadow of ║ │
│║ Tolkien were enjoying a new burst of popularity ║ │
│║ with the onset of tabletop RPGs and now- ║ │
│║ antiquated video games. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Not that Agents of Power is devoted specifically ║ │
│║ to Elric, but about 75% of the album covers his ║ │
│║ saga while the first few songs deal with other ║ │
│║ fantasy settings like Dragonlance ("Gates of ║ │
│║ Thorbardin"). All delivered in a thick, chunky ║ │
│║ down to earth guitar tone which, admittedly is ║ │
│║ drawn from a pretty derivative arsenal of ║ │
│║ riffing patterns that aren't going to feel new ║ │
│║ for any long-term fans of traditional/power ║ │
│║ metal. There's a bit of Omen here, in addition ║ │
│║ to your signature Judas Priest patterns circa ║ │
│║ the 70s, some primitive Manowar power, and a ║ │
│║ pretty vibrant lead sensibility which is ║ │
│║ engaging enough where it erupts in a track like ║ │
│║ "Rhythm of the Chain" or the ascending, bouncy ║ │
│║ "Gates of Thorbardin". The real star of the show ║ │
│║ here, is singer Jason Conde-Houston whose ║ │
│║ caterwauling timbre has a sinister side to it ║ │
│║ reminiscent of John Cyriis (Agent Steel) or ║ │
│║ Midnight (Crimson Glory) in their prime; though ║ │
│║ he certainly paces himself like a Dickinson in ║ │
│║ the early to mid 80s and I hear smatterings of ║ │
│║ other esteemed forebears like Eric Adams, James ║ │
│║ Rivera and David Wayne throughout. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I really did enjoy the production of the album, ║ │
│║ earthen and deep enough to really let Conde- ║ │
│║ Houston's shrill melodic spikes stand forth, or ║ │
│║ the considerable number of noodling micro-solos; ║ │
│║ but I wouldn't say that it was blow for blow ║ │
│║ memorable in terms of the songwriting. There's ║ │
│║ enough variation throughout the album's hour ║ │
│║ length that you can really settle into it and ║ │
│║ not become excessively bored. There are ║ │
│║ narrative briefs strewn about the Elric ║ │
│║ sequence, like "Pulsing Cavern" or the Maiden- ║ │
│║ esque brief "The Young Kingdoms" which serve to ║ │
│║ splinter the more brooding, serious pieces, but ║ │
│║ in truth most of the tunes are well balanced and ║ │
│║ reined in (only two surpassing the 6 minute ║ │
│║ mark). I actually dug the first four pieces as ║ │
│║ much if not more than the conceptual chunk of ║ │
│║ the disc, so Skelator were wise in front-loading ║ │
│║ them, but there are a few gems deeper in the ║ │
│║ playlist, like "The Dark Tower" wherein the ║ │
│║ music and vocals channel Helstar, or "Rubble and ║ │
│║ Ash" with its unnerving and awesome spoken ║ │
│║ intro.s ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ There's a bit less spit and polish than you'd ║ │
│║ find on albums by the Italians Domine, who also ║ │
│║ devote their lyrics heavily to Moorcock, but ║ │
│║ that's largely because Skelator lack that ║ │
│║ European anthem undertow. They keep the guitar ║ │
│║ progressions boxy and simplistic, the sort they ║ │
│║ could mete out in the rehearsal space with the ║ │
│║ same level of clarity they express in studio. ║ │
│║ Agents of Power is, if anything, a humble record ║ │
│║ which knows its limitations and never really ║ │
│║ pushes beyond them, but having said that, I ║ │
│║ still think it surpasses their sophomore Death ║ │
│║ to All Nations in terms of songwriting. Don't go ║ │
│║ into this expecting floods of Gamma Ray glitter ║ │
│║ or Dragonforce drama, this is a far more ║ │
│║ stripped and sincere approach that gets the ║ │
│║ former Californian act to the finish line ║ │
│║ without necessarily winning the race. Nothing ║ │
│║ groundbreaking or essential here, but it's got ║ │
│║ enough heart to win over the fantasy rock ║ │
│║ enthusiast or the crypto-USPM fanatic. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Agents Of Power [04:52] │
│ 02 - Gates Of Thorbardin [05:30] │
│ 03 - Dream Dictator [06:15] │
│ 04 - Rhytem Of The Chain [04:15] │
│ 05 - Overture [04:18] │
│ 06 - Elric: The Dragon Prince [05:15] │
│ 07 - Pulsing Carvern [00:34] │
│ 08 - Stormbringer and Mournblade [02:49] │
│ 09 - The Young Kingdom [01:29] │
│ 10 - The Dark Tower [03:28] │
│ 11 - Cymoric [03:47] │
│ 12 - Rubble And Ash [04:01] │
│ 13 - Face. The Dreadful Curse [01:59] │
│ 14 - Elric: The Kingslayer [01:52] │
│ 15 - Bane Of The Black Sword [06:16] │
│ 16 - Outro [02:21] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [59:01 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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