Review: Elvenking - The Pagan Manifesto | |||||||
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The Pagan Manifesto | |||||||
Label: AFM Records Year released: 2014 Duration: 1:03:58 Tracks: 12 Genre: Power Metal Rating: Review online: November 14, 2014 Reviewed by: MetalMike |
Readers' Rating How do you rate this release? Rated 4/5 (80%) (5 Votes)
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Review | |||||||
If you've followed melodic Heavy Metal for any length of time you should be familiar with Italy's Elvenking. They've been at the folky, fantasy Power Metal thing since 1997 and 2014's The Pagan Manifesto is full-length #8. Much of what you've come to expect from Elvenking (or much of what you would assume from the band's name and country of origin) are present in good measure on The Pagan Manifesto; clear vocals, fantasy lyrics, double-kick drums, keyboards and guitars vying for your attention, etc. I rather liked Red Silent Tides but not the follow-up, Era, which sucked. The Pagan Manifesto rights the ship in a big way and even manages to expand upon Elvenking's repertoire a bit and, for that reason alone, it is a more engaging listen. You've still got epic-length pieces ("King of the Elves") and medieval instrumentation ("Towards the Shore") but we also get occasional harsh vocals ("The Solitaire") and creepy, classical-sounding choirs ("Witches Gather") that provide some welcome diversity. The vocal lines on The Pagan Manifesto are also improved and sound not unlike something you'd hear on an Ordan Ogan album. The Pagan Manifesto is solid and every so slightly different from the hordes of fantasy-based albums available today. When you combine that with the quality playing and improved songwriting, you get something definitely worth checking out, especially if you wrote the band off after Era. |
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More about Elvenking... | |||||||
Review: Era (reviewed by Christopher Foley) Review: Era (reviewed by MetalMike) Review: Era (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible) Review: Heathenreel (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible) Review: Reader of the Runes - Divination (reviewed by Bruno Medeiros) Review: Reader of the Runes - Divination (reviewed by MetalMike) Review: Reader of the Runes - Rapture (reviewed by MetalMike) Review: Red Silent Tides (reviewed by Adam Kohrman) Review: Red Silent Tides (reviewed by MetalMike) Review: Secrets of the Magick Grimoire (reviewed by Bruno Medeiros) Review: Secrets of the Magick Grimoire (reviewed by MetalMike) Review: The Scythe (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible) Review: The Winter Wake (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser) | |||||||
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