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Saint: Hell Blade Hard Rock, Heavy Metal Retroactive Records January 18th, 2010
Originally posted on January 23rd, 2010 | ||
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Review
Hot off the tail of Crime Scene Earth 2.0, a re-recording of the band's full length Crime Scene Earth release just one year prior, Saint finds themselves kicking off the new year with their latest release Hell Blade. For fans of old school Heavy Metal, this one is certainly something worth listening too, and will take all fans by surprise immediately. Along the lines of bands like Judas Priest and Alice Cooper, there is surely something for everyone on here, from heavy, pulse pounding riffs, to slower rock anthems. Right off the bat the album kicks in with some very intense old-school pure Heavy Metal with "The Blade" and "Too The Cross", both standing out on the album and really setting a dark and punishing tone to the music. But, then comes the rather out of place "Crying in the Night", a Hard Rock track that could best be described as some sort of attempt at an anthem. While this isn't that bad a track, it just feels very out of place since much of the music on here much heavier and serious. Had they put more emphasis on heaviness towards that track, like they did with the more Heavy Metal anthem-esque track "Endless Night", then this album would have been absolutely fantastic from start to finish. Aside "Crying in the Night", there is absolutely nothing wrong with this release. Hell Blade is a very entertaining romp through the olden days of the early Heavy Metal movement, which is something that has been long overdue. The best tracks, as stated, kick off the release, but the rest of the line up is still pretty intense, but not quite as heavy. "Hell Train" is a great track that has a nice bite to it that only is ruined by fading out abruptly to the sound of a train passing by. This track does set the tone for the rest of the album, but it's "SinnerPeace" and "Hell Blade" that really show off the band's skill. Even though these tracks have the same feel as the rest of the album, "Hell Blade" has a nice change up mid-song that flows naturally with the progression of the song, and "SinnerPeace" is just a well crafted Heavy Metal track that just grips you and won't let go. Saint's Hell Blade is the first sign of some very important days to come for the Metal world with it's flawless interpretation of the NWOBHM movement. With only one track hurting it, from start to finish you'll be pounding your fists in the air against the rather intense and catchy guitar riffs that compliment the typical clean and commanding Heavy Metal vocals. If you're itching to hear something that doesn't have any breakdowns, or some sort of return to the earlier generations of this style, then this is a release that you simply cannot pass up.
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