• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Ring Of Fire: Battle of Leningrad

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal

5.0/5.0

Website (Label)
Frontiers Records
by Craig Hartranft,  15.01.2014

Here's another band making a comeback. Ring Of Fire, formed by vocalist Mark Boals after his first solo album of the same name, returns after a nearly 10 year absence with Battle of Leningrad. Boals also returns with original guitarist Tony MacAlpine and keyboard player Vitalij Kuprij, with guests Timo Tolkki and Jami Huovinen filling in on bass and drums, respectively.

Ring Of Fire: in a rectangle.

As you might have guessed the recording is a concept album based upon the historic 900 day siege of Leningrad by the Nazis during World War II. Despite the dire living conditions and substantial loss of life, nearly one million starved to death, the Russians eventually beat back their oppressors.

Musically, Battle of Leningrad is exactly what you would expect from Ring Of Fire: melodic power metal driven by Boals's melodic vocals, MacAlpine's neo-classical guitar virtuosity, and Kuprij's colorful keyboard play. The music is often dramatic fitting the concept of the album. The opener Mother Russia has a feeling grandeur, presenting character of a proud people. The title track has a heavy, yet epic, feel as it speaks to the trauma of battle. Land of Frozen Tears, with Boals's passionate vocals, suggests the anguish of the suffering people. Also, at the start of the song, the lyrics, 'the snowflakes go silently by outside my window,' are given life by underlying acoustic guitar. Your mind can easily visualize the scene. That's some very good songwriting. Another song of this caliber, being dramatic and passionate, is Our World, capturing once more the anguish of a suffering people. But these are all examples of both the character and color of the whole of Battle of Leningrad, a rather exceptional and entertaining accomplishment by Ring Of Fire. Hopefully, we won't have to wait ten years for the next album. Quite recommended.

Ring Of Fire - Battle of Leningrad (Samples)

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Battle of Leningrad marks a fine return for Ring OF Fire, a rather exceptional and entertaining accomplishment.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]