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Enemy Eyes: History's Hand
Enemy Eyes - History's Hand Album Art

Enemy Eyes: History's Hand

Melodic Heavy Metal Rock
4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 15.11.2022 | Released: 18.11.2022

Always a busy fellow, American vocalist Johnny Gioeli returns with a new musical project, Enemy Eyes. Most fans will know Gioeli from his work with Hardline, master guitarist Axel Rudi Pell, and Crush40 (among other outlets). His new band features players from the Frontiers Music stable, including songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Alessandro Del Vecchio. History's Hand is Enemy Eyes debut album. It's also Gioeli's 100th release a recording artist.

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Enemy Eyes: Johnny Gioeli

As to the musical direction of Enemy Eyes, Gioeli's describes the project this way: "Enemy Eyes is the final product of a vision I've had for many years of combining old school rock with a European metal feel. At the end of the day, I can sing many styles of music, but my heart and soul is metal." He's accomplished his goal. History's Hand can be easily defined as hard and heavy metal driven by the sensibility of rock rhythm and groove. Is it heavy metal or is it rock. It's both. Perhaps with a little power metal mixed. But there's no doubt about one thing: the rock groove element gives the tunes a near AOR accessibility. All the while Gioeli is at his assertive, somewhat raw and raging, vocal best. He likes singing metal, and so it goes.



Speaking to that mixture of rock and metal, this combination rises as the cream of the crop with Rat Race, History's Hand, The Chase, and Broken, one of the songs that verges on power metal. Alternatively, Gioeli can throw in a few curve balls. Preying On Your Weakness has softer start, even chugging to begin, but then becomes a heavy plodding anthem. Somewhat similar, What I Believe offers another mild start, this time with piano and voice. This continues for the first half, only to rise heavy later with more assertive vocals, prominent guitar lines, only to finis where it started with the piano line.

Summing up, vocalist Johnny Gioeli wanted to return to his metal vocal roots with his new project Enemy Eyes. His debut album, History's Hand sufficiently nails the melodic heavy metal rock motif he was seeking, with finely crafted and entertaining results. Recommended.



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The Take Away

Vocalist Johnny Gioeli wanted to return to his metal vocal roots with his new project Enemy Eyes. His debut album, History's Hand sufficiently nails the melodic heavy metal rock motif he was seeking, with finely crafted and entertaining results. Recommended.

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