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░ ██ ██ Artist: Faithful Breath ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Skol █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 1985 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-07-04 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Hard Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Ambush Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Faithful Breath is a German band that put out a █
█ progressive rock record in the early 70's, and █
█ just as quickly, changed their sound into █
█ something else entirely. Fast forward a decade or █
█ so, and the band is barely recognizable from what █
█ they used to be. While its established that many █
█ surviving prog rock bands from the 70's changed █
█ their sound in order to keep up with the crowds in █
█ the 80's, most of those bands became pop outfits, █
█ whereas Faithful Breath went down the route of █
█ heavy metal. While this would tend to be a more █
█ personally promising prospect than hearing a prog █
█ band dumb down their sound to the four chord █
█ wonder, my first experience with the band's heavy █
█ metal material 'Gold n' Glory' indicated to me █
█ that there was not all too much to be excited █
█ about here. 'Skol' was released the year following █
█ 'Gold n' Glory', and right before they decided to █
█ change their name and start fresh as the speed █
█ metal act Risk. 'Skol' is a weak album from the █
█ proggers-turned- hard rockers, and virtually █
█ drowned in dated 80's hair appeal. While I still █
█ can't call Faithful Breath's material 'horrible', █
█ this is a clear step down from the comparatively █
█ fun 'Gold n' Glory'. █
█ While I still was not a big fan of Faithful Breath █
█ on 'Gold n' Glory', I could enjoy it at least as █
█ fun, concise heavy metal; an obscure album that █
█ was all too lost in its era. 'Skol' changes their █
█ sound up a bit, but for the worse; the songs here █
█ sound like they have been taken down a notch in █
█ terms of speed and relative heaviness. Instead of █
█ a purely heavy metal album, this has now dipped █
█ beneath the threshold, into hard rock. The songs █
█ are more mid-tempo, there is less excess with the █
█ solos, and most things seem to have been toned █
█ down, if only a little bit. In any case, this is █
█ enough to make 'Skol' a weaker incarnation of █
█ Faithful Breath than its predecessor. The lyrics █
█ here are laughable, and the songwriting is █
█ extremely formulaic, relying mostly on the █
█ repetition of the usually gang-chanted choruses, █
█ wherein the band usually calls out the title of █
█ the song. Sound pretty familiar? █
█ The band's performance here is not memorable, █
█ although its not bad at all, for what it is. █
█ However, the lacking sense of identity on 'Skol' █
█ does nothing for me, and Faithful Breath would █
█ remain a lacking Accept clone to the very end. █
█ Luckily, their music under the new name of Risk █
█ would be better. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Faithful Breath is another one of those good, but █
█ not overly amazing obscure 80Æs heavy hetal bands. █
█ Their ninth official release however, gives them a █
█ far greater catalogue than many bands that fall █
█ into this grouping. Skol is a fairly strong album █
█ with a variety of songs it including a █
█ sailor/pirate anthem as the title song, with █
█ smatterings of speed metal throughout. █
█ æStart it UpÆ is an excellent opening track, with █
█ a riff to kick things off that reminds me of late █
█ 80Æs Dokken (Read: Back for the Attack). The █
█ structure of the vocals and indeed the vocalist █
█ himself sound very much like Accept, as do the █
█ tempo and drum mixing, with a punchy kick that █
█ could be likened to any Accept number of the same █
█ period. æDouble DealerÆ, another strong number, is █
█ a speed- metal track with tonnes of Accept █
█ overtones, and by this stage in the album (track █
█ two), you may realize that this band is incredibly █
█ influenced by Accept (and why not). But this is █
█ probably more than most purists who canÆt stand █
█ obvious influences from a stalwart band can █
█ handle. It seems to fairly common with German █
█ speed/heavy metal bands of the early to mid 80s to █
█ have strong Priest/Accept/Maiden influences coming █
█ through, but for me thatÆs part of the enjoyment. █
█ æRock RebelsÆ is perhaps the anthem of the album, █
█ and again is very much comparable to Accept. ItÆs █
█ also got a powerful U.S. kinda feel to it. ôJoin █
█ the rock rebels, boys in black leatherö is very █
█ much an Accept feeling lyric, but thatÆs not █
█ something I mind too much. Faithful BreathÆs first █
█ release came out over ten years earlier, and much █
█ of this sound may be due to their own natural █
█ progression rather than simply æripping offÆ Udo █
█ and the boys. █
█ æWe Want YouÆ is a slower number with layering of █
█ guitars and a Scorpions live anthem feel. ôWe want █
█ you to wave your hands nowö etc. While holding █
█ nothing against slower numbers, this is probably █
█ the albums lowest point, with much of the lyrics █
█ being pretty generic æhard rockÆ sorta ground and █
█ nothing too inspiring on guitar either. █
█ æCrazy in MetalÆ is an excellently titled heavy █
█ metal anthem with everything in the song done █
█ well. Yet again this is incredibly Accept-like in █
█ terms of the overall feel, but especially the █
█ vocals. ôShout it out!!!!-Crazy in █
█ Metal!!!ö-Brilliant. The chorus is incredibly █
█ catchy and is very much æFists in the AirÆ Classic █
█ heavy metal. ThereÆs some interesting interplay █
█ with the guitars, yet the solo is almost █
█ anti-climactic; nothing too inventive or standing █
█ out. If wanting to check out a song from the █
█ album, perhaps grab this one. █
█ The remainder of the material on the album is █
█ perhaps topped by æBackstreet HeroesÆ a gritty, █
█ back-alley song about screwing, drinking and █
█ partying, executed with speed metal pace and some █
█ Judas Priest influence. A melodic solo and some █
█ dirty lyrics again in the tradition of Accept make █
█ this one a winner. Very catchy, and simplistic, █
█ this one will get stuck in your head along with █
█ æCrazy in MetalÆ. █
█ In summation, Skol is anthemic speed metal very █
█ much similar to Accept. Nothing but simple, hard █
█ hitting anthems of the early/mid 80Æs style. The █
█ title tracks pirate-like themes may well be a █
█ forerunner to Running WildÆs all-out Pirate Metal █
█ attack, as at this stage, their lyrics █
█ predominantly comprised satanic imagery. On the █
█ similarity to Accept, I would argue that this █
█ isnÆt a bad thing; Faithful Breath has their █
█ origins very early, like Accept, and perhaps came █
█ about much of their sound in this album parallel █
█ to Accept, rather than directly deriving from it. █
█ Also, even if Faithful Breath derived some of its █
█ signature sound from Accept, who wouldnÆt have? █
█ IÆm sure Accept were a phenomenal source of █
█ inspiration for fellow æKraut-metallersÆ, █
█ particularly at this time as they had just █
█ released several albums or remarkable importance, █
█ and were tearing the world up on tour. Also, while █
█ it not be the most noblest thing to derive a lot █
█ of your sound from a particular band or bands, and █
█ you may not be as well respected for it, this █
█ doesnÆt mean you canÆt release excellent music. █
█ Well worth checking out as the more obscure █
█ Accept, or for Running Wild fans. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Start it Up 4:02 ░
░ 2. Double Dealer 3:34 ░
░ 3. Lady M. 2:30 ░
░ 4. Rock Rebels 3:47 ░
░ 5. We Want You 5:00 ░
░ 6. Inside Out 3:38 ░
░ 7. Crazy in Metal 4:05 ░
░ 8. Backstreat Heroes 3:35 ░
░ 9. Skol 4:45 ░
░ 34:56 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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