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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Stormwitch - Stronger Than Heaven + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Mar-22-2015 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2004 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........12 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.stormwitch.de ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Stormwitch Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Stronger Than Heaven Label : Battle Cry ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Well, letÆs throw our minds back for a time ║ │
│║ being and recall some distant past when Germany ║ │
│║ was not a place of autobahns, sausages and ║ │
│║ misplaced guilt stemming from that angst-ridden ║ │
│║ 1930s/40s period, but rather to an olden age ║ │
│║ whence wizards and witches inhabited every ║ │
│║ moonlit forest, threatening idyllic peace and ║ │
│║ busty maidens, and when Witchfinders (before ║ │
│║ logic relegated them to societyÆs unemployment ║ │
│║ office) had free reign to exact whatever ║ │
│║ pricking they saw fit as to exact upon suspected ║ │
│║ minions of the Devil. Stormwitch, as their ║ │
│║ clichΘd moniker might suggest, dwell upon all ║ │
│║ this and more. And armed with a copy of ║ │
│║ ShakespeareÆs Macbeth and some of HammerÆs ║ │
│║ finest films they set out to conjure just these ║ │
│║ atmospheres of an earlier Europe ridden with ║ │
│║ superstition and, er, cottage industry. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The occult certainly wasnÆt anything new to ║ │
│║ metal at this point, even considered somewhat of ║ │
│║ a clichΘ by 1986 (enough for certain thrash ║ │
│║ bands to move rather rapidly away from it, ║ │
│║ Megadeth, for instance). But I donÆt really care ║ │
│║ whatÆs considered æold hatÆ in music and IÆve ║ │
│║ always been interested by the different ways ║ │
│║ metal bands use the occult (not literally, of ║ │
│║ course! I donÆt actually believe King Diamond ║ │
│║ speaks with the ghosts of the undeadà though, he ║ │
│║ does and thatÆs the important part). Doom bands ║ │
│║ often use the occult as a representation of ║ │
│║ personal demons that trouble them (often from a ║ │
│║ seemingly Christian perspective), whereas other ║ │
│║ metal bands use it to symbolise a sense of ║ │
│║ rebellion and rejection of traditional values ║ │
│║ (Running WildÆs Gates to Purgatory, for ║ │
│║ example). Stormwitch, on the other û possibly ║ │
│║ left û hand, simply seem to be singing about the ║ │
│║ occult because itÆs a good way of provoking ║ │
│║ certain images in their listenersÆ heads, and ║ │
│║ hey, itÆs fun to listen to. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In a similar way to how their lyrics may seem ║ │
│║ initially similar to Mercyful Fate, if perhaps ║ │
│║ devoid of some of the DaneÆs more malefic ║ │
│║ touches, then StormwitchÆs music can too be said ║ │
│║ to have something of a Mercyful Fate Lite vibe ║ │
│║ about it. ThereÆs a lot of pre-DonÆt Break the ║ │
│║ Oath MF distilled into StormwitchÆs sound, and ║ │
│║ believe me itÆs certainly welcome! But as IÆve ║ │
│║ said, itÆs lighter in its overall mood, but ║ │
│║ thatÆs hardly of any real detriment. This brings ║ │
│║ me to another comparison: Helloween. As well as ║ │
│║ Andy MⁿckÆs vocals having some Kai-alike ║ │
│║ intonations to them, the bandÆs overall sound is ║ │
│║ perhaps a little something like what Helloween ║ │
│║ would have sounded like if theyÆd followed some ║ │
│║ of their more sinewy mid-paced moments on Walls ║ │
│║ of Jericho (think æPhantoms of DeathÆ in ║ │
│║ particular) to a more melodic, refined ║ │
│║ conclusion rather than becoming something of a ║ │
│║ pop-metal band on Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part ║ │
│║ I. So yes, itÆs not the most original and ║ │
│║ world-shaking thing IÆve heard, but Stormwitch ║ │
│║ are not artistes who redefine what is capable ║ │
│║ with heavy music with their music; theyÆre a ║ │
│║ highly enjoyable band who are happy to write ║ │
│║ well-constructed songs that may or may not rhyme ║ │
│║ ôGeorge Michaelö with ôMenstrual Cycleö. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Surely, youÆve got time for something like that, ║ │
│║ right? ItÆs something that German heavy metal ║ │
│║ bands seem to do very well post-NWOBHM. After ║ │
│║ all, Britain gave up producing traditional heavy ║ │
│║ metal in any great quantity by the mid-80s (for ║ │
│║ reasons I canÆt really fathom), so surely ║ │
│║ someone had to carry on the torch, right? ║ │
│║ Although, the German thrash scene gets its ║ │
│║ deserved accolades, the influx of traditional ║ │
│║ metal bands coming out of Germany in the 80s is ║ │
│║ certainly not something to be sniffed at in both ║ │
│║ terms of quantity and quality. Helloween and ║ │
│║ Running Wild certainly have their fans, as do ║ │
│║ Grave Digger to a lesser extent, so why not ║ │
│║ Stormwitch as well? Certainly the material ║ │
│║ present on Stronger than Heaven puts it way ║ │
│║ ahead of, say, æHeadbanging ManÆ and its ilk. ║ │
│║ This band needs more credit, especially when ║ │
│║ people still deem Hammerfall to a be a ║ │
│║ worthwhile band! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Stronger than Heaven is certainly an album any ║ │
│║ trad metal connoisseur will enjoy from the first ║ │
│║ spin, and although I canÆt really say thereÆs a ║ │
│║ moment I didnÆt really enjoy thereÆs a few ║ │
│║ definitely standouts. Opener, æRats in the ║ │
│║ AtticÆ introduces us to the delightful, melodic ║ │
│║ riff-o-rama, which is given a well-pronounced ║ │
│║ place in the mix with that lovely mid-80s warm ║ │
│║ mush of a guitar sound. ItÆs certainly not the ║ │
│║ most serious or shadowy number on Stronger than ║ │
│║ Heaven but still at its most overtly æfunÆ the ║ │
│║ album is nowhere near as ôHAPPY HALLOWEEN!ö as ║ │
│║ the cover art would suggest. This probably from ║ │
│║ where IÆve devised most of my Helloween ║ │
│║ comparisons û itÆs certainly the closest they ║ │
│║ get to Kiske-era Helloween (and a year before ║ │
│║ the Keepersà began, too). æEterniaÆ proves ║ │
│║ another wholly worthwhile number with its æCurse ║ │
│║ of the PharaohsÆ styled guitar work interspersed ║ │
│║ with misty little verses that move the song ║ │
│║ forward at a great pace. The title track itself ║ │
│║ shows the band at their most anthemic; it starts ║ │
│║ off with an olÆ witch gang-chant, which is fair ║ │
│║ enough as the witches on the cover have permsà ║ │
│║ eighties witches, really, their familiar was ║ │
│║ probably a curling iron. ItÆs quite an ║ │
│║ archetypal eighties-styled heavy metal number it ║ │
│║ wouldnÆt really sound out of place on one of the ║ │
│║ good Dio albums, which is probably a good ║ │
│║ indication of this bandÆs melodic class. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ But still, my favourite is the rousing, ║ │
│║ unsettling fast number æSlave to MoonlightÆ. ║ │
│║ ItÆs the typical horror tale of changing by ║ │
│║ moonlight into something far more hairy and ║ │
│║ waking up covered Pedigree Chum with no idea of ║ │
│║ what youÆve done the next morning, which is a ║ │
│║ truly frightening image. I like really like the ║ │
│║ interjection of cheesy eighties horror sound ║ │
│║ effects in the sound. Stormwitch really does ║ │
│║ sound like a great eighties horror movie with ║ │
│║ all the charm and schlock you could ever ask for ║ │
│║ û forget societyÆs ills and politics for a while ║ │
│║ and captivate yourself with the fears of demons, ║ │
│║ gypsy curses and that howling sound on the wind ║ │
│║ that you canÆt quite put your finger on. ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - rats in the attic [03:39] │
│ 02 - eternia [03:59] │
│ 03 - jonathan's diary [07:23] │
│ 04 - slave to moonlight [04:04] │
│ 05 - stronger than heaven [04:38] │
│ 06 - ravenlord [03:41] │
│ 07 - allies in the dark [04:18] │
│ 08 - dorian gray [05:39] │
│ 09 - children of the night (live) (bonus track) [07:01] │
│ 10 - buried alive (live) (bonus track) [05:50] │
│ 11 - long boats on the horizon (live) (bonus tr [05:19] │
│ 12 - beware the demons (live) (bonus track) [07:01] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [62:32 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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