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░ ██ ██ Artist: Faithful Breath ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Gold 'n' Glory █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-10-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Hard Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Mausoleum Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Reissue ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Nothing drives me more insane than when a mediocre █
█ band/artist records a legitimately brilliant album █
█ which is subsequently either ignored, laughed off █
█ as an anomaly, or ridiculed. Now I know there are █
█ TRUE Faithful Breath fans out there who love the █
█ band from their humble German prog/hard rock █
█ beginnings way back in 1974 with their debut █
█ "Fading Beauty" LP, and through their succession █
█ of albums(each a bit harder edged than the last, █
█ with the original prog sound gradually fading █
█ away) like 1980's "Back On My Hill", the cult hard █
█ rock classics "Rock Lions" LP from 1981 and "Hard █
█ Breath" LP from 1983(which were beginning to █
█ demonstrate some heavy metal proficiency but still █
█ had more of a hard rock vibe). In some ways █
█ Faithful Breath's development is similar to that █
█ of Krokus, with a long series of ok albums all █
█ leading to two classics(in the case of Krokus, █
█ their '82 "One Vice At A Time" LP and "Headhunter" █
█ LP from '83). Likewise, Faithful Breath's early █
█ efforts were all leading to the stunning European █
█ metal glory of their "Gold 'N' Glory" LP released █
█ in early 1984 on Mausoleum Records. █
█ But here's where things get tragic in my opinion. █
█ By 1984, too many metalheads had been negatively █
█ influenced by the early Faithful Breath LPs(for █
█ example, just imagine a young metalhead in 1983 █
█ buying '74's "Fading Beauty" LP-they'd be █
█ thoroughly confused when their friend told him a █
█ year later that he should check out this rad █
█ record by Faithful Breath called "Gold 'N' Glory") █
█ and the over the top Spinal Tap-esque image(see █
█ the back side of "Gold 'N' Glory" which Faithful █
█ Breath in full Viking regalia so proudly adorned). █
█ In many ways Sweden's Heavy Load also had this █
█ issue of an image which was either loved or █
█ hated(although almost NO ONE could deny their █
█ metal mastery). For some odd reason Manowar got a █
█ free pass for their equally cheeky dress, with █
█ many metal fans adoring Manowar's image while █
█ scorning Faithful Breath and Heavy Load who both █
█ PRECEDED Manowar when it came to dressing up like █
█ Vikings, etc. So basically, "Gold 'N' Glory" █
█ already had some strikes against it(no thanks to █
█ rock/metal critics as well) before the needle even █
█ dropped... █
█ When that needle DID drop however, what listerers █
█ were met with was a well-produced(by Accept █
█ producer/engineer Michael Wagener and Accept █
█ frontman Udo Dirkschneider)wall of hugely melodic, █
█ expertly played, well-written European heavy metal █
█ that musically was in the vein of Accept, Sinner, █
█ Trance, Bullet, Viva, Black Out-"Evil Game" LP and █
█ fellow label-mates Axe Victims, █
█ Ostrogoth(Belgium), Scavenger(Belgium), crossed █
█ with the cold, emotionally bleak and icy █
█ vibrations of Swedish masters like Heavy Load, █
█ Overdrive, Glory Bells' Band, 220 Volt, Torch, █
█ Axewitch, etc. So while "Gold 'N' Glory" IS a very █
█ German record it transcends borders and stands as █
█ a testament to the sheer heavy metal power and █
█ glory of 80's Euro-metal. █
█ From the first second, "Gold 'N' Glory" just █
█ piledrives with huge riffs, killer melodies, █
█ catchy choruses, and metal pride. Opening track █
█ "Don't Feel Hate" is superb and perfectly sets the █
█ stage for rest of the album which ranges from █
█ up-tempo headbangs like "Don't Feel Hate" to █
█ wonderfully written, slow, melodic masterpieces █
█ like "A Million Hearts". The second tune "King Of █
█ The Rock"(while lyrically not exactly brilliant) █
█ is a all-around monster of a track, with huge █
█ Accept-like group choruses and tons of excellent █
█ guitar work. Track three "Jailbreaker" is just █
█ plain old fun, evoking a time and style of heavy █
█ metal which is sadly now gone. This headbangin' █
█ tune is followed up by the brilliantly beautiful █
█ "A Million Hearts". Some would classify this tune █
█ as a "power ballad", but in reality it's FAR too █
█ heavy to have the word "ballad" anywhere near it! █
█ It is simply a emotionally crushing, melodic █
█ dirge, with a beautifully sung chorus and very █
█ emotive guitars. This tune is very reminiscent of █
█ some of the emotionally black, introspective, and █
█ brilliant tunes written by Swedish legends like █
█ 220 Volt and Heavy Load. Next up is the title █
█ track "Gold 'N' Glory" which is quite simply █
█ classic and starts Side B with the same shot of █
█ power that "Don't Feel Hate" does for Side A. The █
█ first time I heard this album, after "A Million █
█ Hearts"(the last song on Side A) I thought, █
█ "there's NO way that Side B can keep up this level █
█ of quality". In fact, over the years I've grown to █
█ love Side B just a hair more than the album's █
█ marvellous first side. The super-heavy, yet █
█ catchy, Accept-level quality title track is █
█ followed by "Play The Game", possibly my favorite █
█ tune on the LP, with its great melodic leads, █
█ upbeat(lyrically and musically) chorus, and down █
█ and dirty soloing which builds to a beautiful █
█ dual-guitar climax, followed by one more go around █
█ of the chorus. Next up is the menacing-mooded █
█ "Princess In Disguise" which features more █
█ top-notch guitar work and yet another great █
█ chorus. There is also a really cool effect placed █
█ on the vocals during the verses which sdds alot of █
█ moodiness to the track. The lead break on this █
█ tune is rad, almost spacey(maybe a hint of their █
█ early prog days), and once again it's just a fun, █
█ cool tune. The album ends with the up-tempo █
█ headbang "Don't Drive Me Mad" which is probably █
█ the weakest(but still great) tune on the album(as █
█ well as one of the heaviest and fastest)so serves █
█ as a good choice to end the album. There's this █
█ perfect sense of 'I wish there was more' which I █
█ get everytime this album ends. I usually end up █
█ playing it again. █
█ So basically, "Gold "N' Glory" is a lost classic █
█ of European metal and an undeniable piece of █
█ classic Germanic heavy metal. Every tune is great, █
█ the album cover is cool(further reinforcing the █
█ Nordic vibe which is SO in your face on the back █
█ of the LP which features photos of the band, █
█ several members dressed in full Viking gear). Yet, █
█ Faithful Breath carries a very love 'em or hate █
█ 'em kinda vibe which is unfortunate because I █
█ don't love Faithful Breath, however, I love the █
█ hell outta "Gold 'N' Glory"(and to a certain █
█ extent its 1985 follow-up "Skol" LP)!!! So if █
█ you're a fan of classic European metal, 80's █
█ German metal, proto-power metal, etc., and have █
█ not heard "Gold 'N' Glory" you MUST add it to your █
█ list! If you've had a bad experience with F. █
█ Breath(bought one of their early LPs and didn't █
█ like it, etc.), just set that memory aside in your █
█ mind. Because "Gold 'N' Glory" is a shining gem of █
█ early 80's Euro-metal and it deserves far more █
█ respect. In the end you may consider F. Breath a █
█ "one album wonder" and that's just fine, because █
█ at least that one wonderful album is being █
█ heard.... █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ As the 70's faded away into the prog-phobic 80's, █
█ many progressive rock acts realized that the only █
█ way they would be able to keep swimming would be █
█ to swim with the rest of the fish, and by that, █
█ meaning to change their sound to appeal to the new █
█ market. As was the case for Genesis and Yes, many █
█ bands went the route of going from prog to pop, a █
█ move which in some cases turned to be quite █
█ disastrous on an artistic level. Faithful Breath █
█ was a German prog rock band from the early '70s █
█ that did indeed change their sound, but not in the █
█ way that so many other proggers did. Instead of █
█ pop, Faithful Breath went for the new growing █
█ sound of heavy metal, and shown on their album █
█ 'Gold n' Glory', it is clear that they were not at █
█ all afraid to jump headfirst into this new style. █
█ Although Faithful Breath's decision to evolve into █
█ a heavy metal act was much better than the pop █
█ alternative they could have been however, the █
█ band's execution of the style is hopelessly █
█ derivative and cheesy, although I will say that █
█ there is some enjoyment to reap from this album █
█ from the once- proggers. █
█ Anytime Faithful Breath's heavy metal material is █
█ mentioned, the German titans Accept are bound to █
█ be mentioned, and this is for no small reason █
█ either; Faithful Breath seems to have thrown down █
█ their old style in the favour of another band's. █
█ While it is taken for granted that every musician █
█ is influenced by something or someone, Faithful █
█ Breath's closeness in sound to Accept goes far █
█ beyond mere similarity. to the point where they █
█ easily fall within the territory of the copycat; a █
█ clone. Complete with rock n' roll lyrics with more █
█ cheese to them than a French cuisine platter, █
█ these tracks are fast, highly reliant on big █
█ choruses, and always have a little guitar solo or █
█ riff to keep in line with formula. Truth be told; █
█ the songs are not poorly written for what they █
█ are, but there really is not much to the music █
█ here to be worth more than a couple of listens at █
█ best. The necessary inclusion of the token power █
█ ballad 'A Million Hearts' is probably the █
█ highlight here simply for the fact that it is a █
█ breath of fresh air from the rest, but nothing █
█ here is bound to lit my heart anytime soon. █
█ Faithful Breath's 'Gold n' Glory' is not a █
█ terrible album, but it sounds immensely dated, to █
█ a nearly humourous extent; the songwriting and █
█ performance here is never impressive, but always █
█ functional. Really, 'Gold n' Glory' is a fairly █
█ enjoyable piece of generic 80's heavy metal, but █
█ nothing more than that, really. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ ItÆs been since I listened to Faithful Breath, but █
█ dammit, this band is overlooked, and forgotten û █
█ even by me, and listening to this classic piece of █
█ German metal now, I really donÆt see why. If you █
█ are new to the band, Faithful Breath basically █
█ plays German metal in the vein of Accept. Stuff is █
█ anthemic and driving, with severely repeated █
█ choruses coming up quite often, speed metal █
█ smatterings and a vocalist who sounds like Udo. █
█ Faithful Breath started off as somewhat of a █
█ progressive 70Æs rock act waaaaay back a decade or █
█ so before this album was released, and changed █
█ their style becoming more inline with the en vogue █
█ traditional European metal of the time, yet they █
█ never experienced anywhere near the success of █
█ their counterparts Accept, another working class █
█ sounding act, who had been in the game long, and █
█ altered their style as time dictated. Even the █
█ flash of semi-success that Faithful Breath had was █
█ fleeting, with most people seemingly have █
█ forgotten about them, while Accept continues to be █
█ a popular and talked about band, well into the █
█ 2000s. █
█ This strong album, often regarded as their best, █
█ or at least their best known, offers little to █
█ explain why Faithful Breath didnÆt or doesnÆt have █
█ a tenth of the popularity as their very similar █
█ cousins, Accept. Even the ballad æA Million █
█ HeartsÆ though nowhere near present in my █
█ (imaginary) list of favorite 80Æs metal ballads, █
█ is halfway decent, but more importantly sounds █
█ like an Accept/U.D.O.ballad. æDonÆt Feel HateÆ is █
█ a melodic, anthemic number, with some sentiment █
█ and a guitar tone which reminds me of 80Æs Dokken. █
█ This one has a powerful, oft repeated, catchy █
█ chorus, and brings on the Accept vibe easily, but █
█ not as much as the incredibly crunchy and █
█ Acceptish æGold æn GloryÆ. This Viking-themed █
█ track, is a fist pumping Germanic working class █
█ anthem, with shouted aggressive gang sloganry, and █
█ classic rock guitar leads, which might I add, are █
█ mixed incredibly crystal clear, along with the █
█ guitars on this album, and the follow-up Skol. █
█ Dokkenish guitar tone and riffage can be found on █
█ this track, as well as the most identifiably █
█ Acceptish sound of the whole album, arguably. █
█ æPlay the GameÆ is one of my favourite numbers; a █
█ track that features some emotive, well mixed █
█ guitar, an up-tempo, positive feel, and anthemic, █
█ chorus heavy delivery. The main riffs in this one █
█ slay hard, as do the bridge/intro riffs, that █
█ shatter spines. Heinz MikusÆ vocal delivery is █
█ always rough, and has that Teutonic sneer to it, █
█ but in this track, mixed with the simple chorus █
█ and positive, anthemic lyrics, I am reminded of █
█ British working class punk bands like Sham 69. We █
█ cannot escape Accept comparisons it seems, as the █
█ following track æPrincess in DisguiseÆ, not only █
█ sounds exactly like them or U.D.O, but has a title █
█ and overall sound very much similar to the track █
█ æPrincess of the DawnÆ. Coincidence? █
█ Anyway, this is cool, rock ænÆ rollish German █
█ metal with infinite similarity to Accept. This █
█ one, along with Skol and Hard Breath, are known as █
█ their best works, and sold a few units back in the █
█ day, but nothing next to the monumental Accept. █
█ This band has some great guitar, and overall █
█ songwriting skill, with a real working class, █
█ tough feel, like Saxon et al do (watch for tough █
█ riffs in the hard hitting æDonÆt Drive me MadÆ and █
█ others). IÆm not sure why these guys never made it █
█ big, given all their skill, and similarity to said █
█ band. Sure maybe they werenÆt quite as █
█ consistently speedy, or they perhaps were lumped █
█ in with æthe oldiesÆ of German metal/rock, (and █
█ hence deemed uncool or not fit for the new sound █
█ of the 80Æs) even though Accept themselves were █
█ part of this era/sound. I donÆt think either █
█ theory holds much water, and I thought I has █
█ cracked the reason why when I glanced again at the █
█ poorly executed album art on the front cover, but █
█ then I remembered some of early AcceptÆs █
█ atrocities, so that canÆt be it either. For now, █
█ thatÆs my best theory however. Why donÆt you █
█ listen to their albums, and tell me? Recommended. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Faithful Breath returns again with their fifth █
█ album. Do not worry though. This album is from █
█ 1984. █
█ I was very much into this type of heavy metal back █
█ then and I have always been a nerd who wanted to █
█ know about every band in the scene. But I cannot █
█ remember this band at all. I was very much into █
█ Accept from Germany though. █
█ Faithful Breath has again changed their sound from █
█ the pretty abysmal bad Hard Breath album and █
█ copied the Accept sound. The same also goes for █
█ copying the vocals too. Both Udo's voice and █
█ phrasing to the football terraces choir. Accept's █
█ guitars, bass and drums has also been copied. █
█ The only difference is that Accept guitarists █
█ were/still is so much better than the guitarists █
█ (whose names I will not name & shame here) █
█ Faithful Breath had. For me, Faithful Breath █
█ sounds like a desperate copycat, suckling from █
█ Accept's name. The lyrics is laughable terrible █
█ too. █
█ This album is a cliche and a copycat album, no █
█ less. But it is a huge improvement on the Hard █
█ Breath album. It is still a terrible album though. █
█ But those into Accept who cannot get enough of █
█ them; this album is for you. It follows the Accept █
█ formula to every single letter and dots. It even █
█ have a power ballad. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Don't Feel Hate 3:46 ░
░ 2. King of the Rock 3:22 ░
░ 3. Jailbreaker 3:27 ░
░ 4. A Million Hearts 4:55 ░
░ 5. Gold 'n' Glory 4:18 ░
░ 6. Play the Game 3:40 ░
░ 7. Princess in Disguise 4:14 ░
░ 8. Don't Drive Me Mad 2:40 ░
░ 30:22 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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