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The Blackened Halo is the third album from Germany's Circle of Silence and it's an ass-kicking, gritty slice of Teutonic Heavy Metal, in the vein of countrymen Accept and Brainstorm. Guitars dominate on The Blackened Halo, as you might expect given the country of origin. Tobias Pfahl and Christian Sommerfeld have the twin guitar attack nailed. Their riffs have a ton of bite while their solos are simple and effective. Singer Nicklas Keim has a superb voice for this style, being clear but gruff and he can hit the high notes when called upon. The Blackened Halo should have you raising your fist or strumming a few power chords on the air guitar.

While it's on, that is, and that brings me to the downside of the album. The band's songwriting skills are just not on the same level as their playing. There's nothing wrong with any of the songs, but you've heard them all before many times. The riffs are generic and the choruses lack any staying power.

Songwriting has to be the biggest hurdle for young bands. Circle of Silence are close to something great with The Blackened Halo, but they aren't there yet. Fans of German Heavy Metal will certainly see the promise of Circle of Silence.