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Overmaster are a Power Metal band from Italy and, contrary to the style that usually comes from that country, sound more like Germany's Brainstorm or Mob Rules than, say, Rhapsody of Fire. Their debut, Madness of War, is a crunchy, slightly dark affair, heavy on the guitar and lighter on the keyboards, though they are still used effectively. Overmaster have an international makeup as singer Gus Gabarro, formerly of White Skull, and drummer Carlos Cantatore, are from South America.

Overmaster put their best songwriting foot forward by starting Madness of War with the fantastic "Marble King" (after a two minute intro of keyboards and sounds of war). This song has a great riff and a chorus that sticks in your head like glue. The keyboards perfectly complement the guitar melodies. The next song, "Spartan Warriors," is also quite good, if not up to the level of the opener. What happens next is Overmaster seek to repeat the formula of the first two songs for the remainder of Madness of War. The resulting album, as a whole, gets stale quite quickly. None of the other songs stand out with any type of memorable chorus, riff or solo, until the last track, "Efialths." This is another beauty in the mold of the first couple of songs. Strings weave between the sounds of a beating heart then lead into furious double-kick drums and sharp, aggressive riffs. As with all the songs on Madness of War, the lyrics deal with the harsh realities of conflict, but this one is personal, and the emotion in Gabarro's is evident. Pino Sicari's guitar solo on "Efialths" is the best on the album. One thing I wish Gabarro would do is tone down the vibrato a bit. He has a very powerful voice, but the warbling can get irritating after a while.

So what you have is a solid, if unspectacular, album from Overmaster. They didn't release a masterpiece with Madness of War, but neither did burn the bridge before they even got across. Overmaster are a band to watch, especially if they can tighten up, and perhaps vary, their songwriting skills on their next effort.