Posts Tagged ‘power metal’
Skullview – Legends of Valor (1997)
A song from this was on one of the many compilation tapes that Kelz sent me over the years. It was the song Blood on 
the Blade from Skullview‘s debut CD. I bought this CD and the followup and have enjoyed them both over the years but there was always something missing and I still can’t put my fingers on it. They vocals were fine, the riffs were fine…these guys were a good traditional American metal band but something always seemed to be lacking. I always thought the drummer was a bit boring and a tad sloppy. I don’t know. But nonetheless, this album is certainly worth putting ears to a few times.
They did play one of the Keep It True fests and I am sure some of the other US metal festivals. I used to correspond with the guitarist quite a bit in the days of the old usenet metal forums. Great dude, fine guitarist. Wonder what he’s up to these days?
I guess I could compare them to Armored Saint and Early Jag Panzer…a little anyway.
You know as I sit here and listen to this album again, I blame it on the drummer. He definitely had some meter problems which translated to the rest of the band.
Custard? WTF? There is a band named Custard?
Yep. Kelz made for me a compilation tape around 1997 that had some cool stuffs on it like Custard, Tension, 
Skullview(!) and some other stuff that escapes me right now. I listened to that tape all the friggin’ time until I got a car in 2000 that didn’t have a cassette player. So I saw that Sentinel Steel Records had Kingdoms of Your Life on CD and picked it up promptly. He always has cool stuff and I recommend you checking it out if you’re even mildly into Power Metal.
Custard hails from Germany and are apparently still together but I am pretty suer that this CD is out of print, that’s why I am posting it here. Fading Memories is the only song I can’t get into. This is good straight up power metal. The singer’s range isn’t that great but it’s very listenable. Failed Mission is easily my favorite. They have little bit of Maiden, Helloween, Accept etc in their sound.
I never bothered to check out their other albums, likely out of fear of disappointment.
On a scale of 1-5, this gets an easy 3.75.
Enjoy it!
Vis Vires – Inside the Hate
Odd little band that I found through Denis Gulbey of Sentinel Steel Records. They hail from somewhere in Georgia but 
don’t really have an American sound. The album is mildly progressive ala Fates Warning (middle Alder era), euro thrashy and gothy in other spots. Occasional screamo vocals which normally turn me off, but they seem to work in this instance. There are some tasty guitar and drums parts and I really dig the singer. The album is a little sloppy in places but it doesn’t really detract from the sum of the whole.
Based on the lyrics, the singer is pretty unhappy with stuff, mainly God. “It doesn’t matter if you rise again cuz you are dead in me forever.” Ouch. His vocal style is very loose and even out of pitch here and there but it works.
If you’re into metal I recommend giving this a listen. Such a pity they split up after this. Another album would have been interesting.
And sorry, no personal quip with this one, just an album that I like.
If the download expires, leave me a note and I’ll upload it again.
The Metal Files 
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