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October 2024

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Battle Beast: Unholy Savior

Heavy/Power Metal

3.5/5.0

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Nuclear Blast Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 07.01.2015

For their third album, Unholy Savior, seems to have merely pushed the 'repeat' button. It sound much like the previous self-titled second album. But, it you have a good thing going, why change?

Battle Beast

If anything, and I'm merely spitballing here, the riffs seem thicker and heavier, embellishing Battle Beast already bombastic sound. The keyboards also seem to have a slightly larger role, with a few more solos alongside adding to the bombastic character with symphonic touches. The vocal harmonies remain impressive, almost choral at time like within Madness.

Vocalist Noora Louhimo, as usual, in competition with the music, fights to rise above it. More often than not she goes screamo to achieve that result. Alternatively, when the music is dialed back, as with Sea of Dreams, Louhimo does the same, when she should have elevated herself a bit more. Yet, it does display that she has some range to her vocal repertoire. A better song that captures her strengths is Touch In The Night. The song strays from the typical Battle Beast power metal for more melodic metal with a rock groove. Louhimo's voice is straightforward, melodic, without going screamo. The tune might also suggest what ABBA would have sounded like if they had a heavy metal period.

Along with these things, there's the natural swiftness of power metal in many songs. Speed and Danger's title tells the tale. It's all go and no stop from the start. Another is the instrumental Hero's Quest, with some terrific drumming to kick off the galloping pace. Another hard charging and dense number is I Want The World ... And Everything, something that could be power metal song for a James Bond movie. At the end of the day, Unholy Savior is mostly Battle Beast being themselves, offering bombastic, over-the-top, and outrageous heavy power metal. (The heavy metal wankers, no doubt, will probably dig the naked chick on the cover.)

Battle Beast - Madness

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

At the end of the day, Unholy Savior is mostly Battle Beast being themselves, offering bombastic, over-the-top, and outrageous heavy power metal.

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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 ]