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Greyhawk: Keepers Of The Flame
Greyhawk - Keepers Of The Flame Album Art

Greyhawk: Keepers Of The Flame

Traditional Heavy Metal
4.5/5.0

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Fighter Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 12.06.2020 | Released: 12.06.2020

The United States is not a country that you first think of for traditional heavy metal bans. At least not so much these days. You have better luck across the pond. But they are out and about in the American metal underground. One of the newcomers to fly the flag of "keep it true" heavy metal is Seattle's Greyhawk. Formed in 2016, the band dropped a six song EP, Ride Out in 2018. Now, picked up by the Spanish label, Fighter Records, Greyhawk arrives with their first full-length studio album, Keepers Of The Flame, which introduces new second guitarist Alika Madis (Dirty Lyxx).

Greyhawk - Click For Larger Image

Greyhawk

Essentially, Keepers Of The Flame follows all the musical themes established in Greyhawk's debut. You get plenty of twin guitar harmony and powerful solos, gallop and groove from the rhythm section and, above all this, Revere Taylor's classically trained, operatic-infused, metal vocals. Most songs provide a general formula: riffs and/or a quick guitar solo over the rhythm section, shift the pace into fifth gear, and then lead everything to the finishing guitar solo(s). By example, you'll hear this recipe with Frozen Star, Drop The Hammer, Masters Of The Sky, or short and fast Ophidian Throne.

But there are some differences. For instance, Black Peak, a rising anthem, turns more upon steady heavy metal with some fine rock groove. With The Rising Sun, another metal anthem, Greyhawk divides the song between a lighter first half with voice over light electric guitar and a rising heavier second half with a storming guitar solo. With the title track, Greyhawk uses the combination of riffs, tempo, and vocal arrangement to create some dense and epic heavy metal.

All said, with Keepers Of The Flame, Seattle's Greyhawk offers listeners another solid and entertaining album of their traditional heavy metal. If you dig old school, keep it true, heavy metal brought forward to the new century, you should get this album. Recommended.



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The Bottom Line

All said, with Keepers Of The Flame, Seattle's Greyhawk offers listeners another solid and entertaining album of their traditional heavy metal. If you dig old school, keep it true, heavy metal brought forward to the new century, you should get this album. Recommended.

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