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Second album from High Council after a bunch of EPs and their debut back in 2018, none of which I have heard. Cruel and Unusual is a slab of meaty and epic heavy metal in the vein of Eternal Champion, Cirith Ungol and Gatekeeper, with many nods to Powerslave-era Iron Maiden and some folk touches here and there. They have a decidedly Cruz del Sur-like sound to them, so I was surprised to see that this album was released independently. Expect twin guitars, bone-crunching riffs, wailing vocals and an overall tight performance. The production on this thing is spot on, with guitars and bass work loud and punchy, and the vocals powerful but somewhat pulled back so as not to get too dominant. A very nice surprise.