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

November 2024

• 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

July 2024

• Ironflame: Kingdom Torn Asunder
• Spektra: Hypnotized
• (Michael) Palace: Reckless Heart
• Mr. Big: Ten
• Dark Mile: Dark Mile

June 2024

• Kaipa: Sommargryningsljus
• Sunbomb: Light Up The Sky
• Seven Spires: A Fortress Called Home
• Atlantic: Another World
• Xeneris: Eternal Rising
• New Horizon: Conquerors
• Issa: Another World

[ More Music Reviews ]

Katana: Storms of War

Heavy/Power Metal

4.5/5.0

Facebook
Listenable Records/Sony Music
by Craig Hartranft,  06.11.2012

It's 1983 all over again. Or somewhere close to that point in heavy metal time. Just check out Katana's wardrobe of choice. Then take a wormhole back in time and you'll find these boys in the arena parking lot, getting juiced for the Iron Maiden gig. Didn't somebody tell these youngsters the should be playing some kind of modern metal mixed with hardcore. Obviously not.

Katana: it's 1983 all over again.

Storms of War finds Katana cutting, without apology I might add, another swatch of classic heavy metal. The buttons on their denim checks read Saxon, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and other kindred spirits. Their style channels the same with a galloping spirit of traditional power metal. It's rather epic and inspired, if not only a little nostalgic. But there's nothing wrong with that, when you get the music right.

Katana has easily secured a place in the vanguard of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal. Confirmation comes with spins of Wrath of the Emerald Witch, City on the Edge of Forever, The Wisdom of Edmonds Field, and the massive and brilliant In the Land of the Sun. The speed is quick, but not necessarily relentless or punishing. It's tempered by melodic lead, heavy metal, vocals and twin guitars offering feisty solos.

Yet, even as described, some might find the entire disc repetitive and be dismissive. But noting the subtleties at the beginning of In the Land of the Sun or the UFO/Schenker-like breakdown in the Wisdom of Edmonds Field, and you'll think differently. If Katana pursues this creativity and variation, they will channel both early and modern, more progressive, Iron Maiden. And that's all good. Storms of War is a damn fine album of classic heavy/power metal. Easily recommended.

Katana's Storms of War is a damn fine album of classic heavy/power metal, echoing the giants of the past. Easily recommended.

Alphabetical Index

By far, Sweden's Eclipse is one of my favorite bands. Always consistent and always entertaining, Eclipse has been delivering their 21st century version of melodic metal rock since songwriter, producer ... [ Read More ]