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░ ██ ██ Artist: Black Phantom ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Better Beware! █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-11-17 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Punishment 18 Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ It was probably not enough for MESMERIZEÆs bass █
█ player, Andrea Tito, with the constant activity █
█ with his mother band. Due to that, other than █
█ taking a breather, he went on forming another █
█ band, and named it BLACK PHANTOM. I might call it █
█ a back to the roots thing, even if he already has █
█ a band that isnÆt that far from the new emerging █
█ entityÆs direction. He even took two bandmates to █
█ carry the new vision with him. Anyhow, it was set █
█ and with material that has been laying around █
█ somewhere in the dark, bred to life and into a █
█ debut album titled ôBetter Beware!ö, which was █
█ signed to the local Punishment 18 Records. Also it █
█ surprised me that these guys are actually going to █
█ support this album, as if there isnÆt a bigger █
█ band in the midst, with that said, hats off to █
█ them. █
█ The rising of BLACK PHANTOM, and its debut output, █
█ marked another British invasion to Italy, and this █
█ time not for the purpose of war. In an own obscure █
█ manner, this band slowly became a kind of Italian █
█ IRON MAIDEN, and without being a tribute band. █
█ Taking on a vocalist that is a cross breeding of █
█ Bruce Dickinson and Tobias Sammet, having a crazed █
█ bass player that is not far from being the lost █
█ child of Steve Harris, embracing the old █
█ juggernautÆs thin Marshall sound of the mid 80s, █
█ low tuning the guitars to make it slightly █
█ heavier, writing music that is in close proximity █
█ and from there on unleashing a setlist of songs █
█ that are a pure exploration of the IRON MAIDEN █
█ universe. Even if it looks that way, I can tell █
█ you without a doubt that this is certainly not a █
█ copycat band. I have the feeling that I know what █
█ you are thinking right now. Generally, I can argue █
█ that ôBetter Beware!ö is under my made up category █
█ of borrowing, because BLACK PHANTOM proved that █
█ they had what it takes to compose material that █
█ would eventually create them an image of their █
█ own. Which means that though there is no such █
█ thing as picture perfect, the Italians conjured up █
█ a good starting point which I believe will lead █
█ them further forward into becoming more original. █
█ BLACK PHANTOM showed that they have a good sense █
█ for creating epics, such as the historical war █
█ affair of ôFirebase Valley Forgeö and the final █
█ original tune ôKing Of Bottom Feedersö. Frankly, █
█ both songs are as if a hybrid between the ôPiece █
█ Of Mindö and ôPowerslaveö periods of MAIDEN. █
█ Furthermore, there is much enthusiasm in their █
█ methods of revamping the old British flame that █
█ isnÆt necessarily based on MAIDEN but others of █
█ the same circle, with the ardent opener ôLight █
█ Behind The Armourö and its energetic mad follower █
█ ôBlack Phantomö, both showing signs of others like █
█ RAVEN / SATAN / TOKYO BLADE. The approach on ôLess █
█ Than Zeroö appeared to me as something for the █
█ audience to get hooked on, a type of anthem that █
█ explores the fine voice pattern of the bandÆs █
█ singer. Others that should be mentioned: ôThe █
█ Absenceö and ôThe Invisible Manö. █
█ Being somewhat far from originality doesnÆt mean █
█ that it is bound to falter. Nothing of a sort in █
█ this particular case. I trust that BLACK PHANTOM █
█ are no mimic, mainly a cause effect of their bass █
█ player passion and devotion for a band that laid █
█ down the law for countless of others. The overall █
█ quality is good, and it is only a matter of time, █
█ if continued, that this band will flourish. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Light Behind the Armour 4:23 ░
░ 2. Black Phantom 3:46 ░
░ 3. Up is Down, Black is White 4:19 ░
░ 4. Less Than Zero 5:21 ░
░ 5. Firebase Valley Forge 6:16 ░
░ 6. From an Is to a Was 4:18 ░
░ 7. The Absence 5:08 ░
░ 8. Ninth Ring of Hell 4:23 ░
░ 9. The Invisible Man 5:24 ░
░ 10. King of Bottom Feeders 5:11 ░
░ 11. Total Eclipse (Iron Maiden cover) 3:52 ░
░ 52:21 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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