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Review: Black Steel - Battle Call
Black Steel
www.facebook.com/blacksteelband
Battle Call

Label: Friday 13th Promotions
Year released: 2001
Duration: 22:00
Tracks: 4
Genre: Heavy Metal

Rating:
3.5/5


Review online: October 22, 2000
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 3.5/5 (70%) (10 Votes)
Review

Black Steel is a new power metal band hailing from Australia.  Battle Call is their first release, essentially a very well produced 4-track demo.  Things start up pretty well with the title track, Battle Call which has some original guitar sounds and some good guitar solos.  I also find that it is on this song that the vocalist does the best job on this CD.  The backing vocals however, are too low in the mix.  The second track, We Are One, is almost as good, although the vocals feel a little weak in some parts of the song, as if the vocalist could reach the high notes.  The next song is The Power, essentially an hymn to heavy metal which, frankly, I think they should have left out.  While the song starts off pretty well with powerful riffs, it quickly becomes somewhat generic, and lyrics are pretty cheesy, and the pre-chorus is just annoying.  I think the song could turn out pretty good if it was reworked a little bit - especially on the lyrical side, since overall the music is quite good.  But I'm not a musician so I'll just shut up and carry on the the fourth and last track, Heart Of A Lion.  This one starts slowly for the first few seconds, followed by some fast riffs.  I love this stuff!  The song is pretty much a mix of fast and slow playing, something made easier by the song's length - the longest at 7:30.  I'd say it's a bit catchier than the other songs on the CD.

Overall, this is a good first release, and one has to consider that it was originally recorded as a demo.  Black Steel plays good power metal, and is reportedly working on a full-length album, which I'll make sure I get when it's released.

More about Black Steel...
Review: Destructor (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Hellhammer (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Interview with Dave Harrison (bass) on February 16, 2003 (Interviewed by Michel Renaud)
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