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░ ██ ██ Artist: Split Heaven ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Devil's Bandit █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-10-17 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Pure Steel Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ As the messenger of hell, the gunslinger, rises █
█ from down under, sets his red eyed gaze upon a █
█ lonely Western town, and starts pacing towards it, █
█ there will be no refuge or retreat. Impending doom █
█ will be upon the heads of the inhabitants, █
█ survival will be for the fittest, if there are any █
█ around to stand against the Hellbound bandit. █
█ Divided between heaven and hell, the Heavy / Power █
█ Metallers of SPLIT HEAVEN, now a pack of █
█ threatening cowboy muchachos, from the barren █
█ areas of Mexico, return to portray a twisted █
█ version of the old Western civilization in North █
█ America through their third release, ôThe DevilÆs █
█ BanditÆsö, via Pure Steel Records, while █
█ celebrating a decade of old school Metal activity. █
█ WhatÆs more interesting that SPLIT HEAVEN have █
█ been sticking hard for a long period of time to █
█ their Metal perspective, largely 80Æs far beyond █
█ driven Metal, assuming indicators of old US Heavy █
█ / Power / Speed Metal outputs whereas not █
█ forsaking European predicaments such as the classy █
█ IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and slashing Teutonic █
█ fever of PRIMAL FEAR. █
█ In general terms, ôThe DevilÆs BanditÆsö stemmed █
█ up to be the rightful creation for the bandÆs █
█ decade anniversary. SPLIT HEAVEN seemed to have █
█ improved their songwriting, in comparison to the █
█ previous ôStreet Lawö, achieving a fine status of █
█ hook laden tunes consisting of the classic Metal █
█ type riffery and lead fretwork, which through █
█ their songs never tired or ceased to impress yours █
█ truly, and acknowledging my craving for a fistful █
█ of power moments with an outstanding performance █
█ of sharp edged choruses with several anthem and █
█ build up merits. Moreover, I wouldnÆt be looking █
█ for extra imaginative approaches if I were you, █
█ SPLIT HEAVENÆs legacy has been built upon simple, █
█ to the point, straightforward attitude for their █
█ Metal. The songsÆ structures are fairly modest, █
█ quite palpable at times but no minus in that, easy █
█ to comprehend riff based song list capturing █
█ encouraging pointers by issuing melodic licks that █
█ could have originated from the MetalÆs finest era. █
█ Production wise, as an 80Æs Metal fan, I believe █
█ that the mixing by the bandÆs drummer, Tomas █
█ Roitman, was ascetically good, and there was also █
█ the crowning mastering scion of the old PRIMAL █
█ FEAR / SINNERÆs engineering collaborator, Achim █
█ K÷hler, which added the right amount of venom for █
█ the initial bandÆs sound. █
█ ôThe DevilÆs Banditö, on my hefty bill, is this █
█ albumÆs foremost hit, delivering the unison of █
█ vintage European meets American Metal █
█ methodologies, letting the bass do the talking █
█ with incredible lead swings, obtaining an █
█ attention with tasty riffery, impelled drum work █
█ and a tremendous rough harmonic hymn like chorus. █
█ Giancarlo Farjat as the new voice of SPLIT HEAVEN, █
█ proved himself worthy of his new position with a █
█ top quality vocal range. ôSinnerö is the bandÆs █
█ ICED EARTH kind of tune, Power / Speed Metal █
█ cruncher circling the wrath and brutish nature of █
█ the old American beast, embedding cool MAIDENish █
█ melodic spells and a simplified chorale war cry of █
█ the songÆs title, the reverbed soloing is purely █
█ breathtaking. ôFalse Martyrö also a few ICED EARTH █
█ elements, yet it turned out to be more of the mid █
█ tempo puncher, servicing heavy riffing and tuneful █
█ power chorus. ôRunawayö caught glimpse of old US █
█ Metal such as early 80Æs OBSESSION and JAG PANZER, █
█ while also romancing with shreds of NWOBHM. This █
█ is a passionate delivery of fine Heavy Metal, in █
█ your face and out. █
█ Do go seeking for exceptions because there are █
█ none, simply put folks; the strains of traditional █
█ Metal run smoothly through the bullets of these █
█ cowboys. ôThe DevilÆs BanditÆsö is SPLIT HEAVENÆs █
█ cause for celebration and for shoot æem up, █
█ plunging through with scrumptious Heavy Metal that █
█ will devour you as well. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. The Arrival of the Gunslinger 1:35 ░
░ 2. Danger Zone 4:11 ░
░ 3. False Martyr 4:04 ░
░ 4. March of the Dead 4:44 ░
░ 5. The Devil's Bandit 5:42 ░
░ 6. Waiting for the Angel of Death 4:48 ░
░ 7. Runaway 3:33 ░
░ 8. Diamond Gaze 5:12 ░
░ 9. Sinner 3:36 ░
░ 10. Right to Rule 3:57 ░
░ 41:22 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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