Excellent EP for power metal fans and Lovers of Crimson Glory, Metal Church and Savatage!
http://www.bleeding4metal.de/index.php?show=review_de&id=9346
The past few months were anything but easy for the US power metallers from Detroit, Michigan. 2015 the band released their second album, “Gods of War,” and everything seemed to be going well. But then 2016 not only singer Todd Michael Hall passed, which is no rarity in uncertain times like this, but the dying of guitarist Pete Rossi in March 2017 was already a very different caliber. The now present EP “Foreverence ” is dedicated to Pete and also contains some of his last recordings with the band. As a singer, Scott Oliva (ex-Wind Wraith, INNERSTRENGTH), who also sings at the Iron Maiden cover band Live After Death, and on top of that also repeatedly appears in the Norwegian musician’s bid Tomorro’s outlook. The latter are no longer unknown to us either. Bryan Holland (ex-Tokyo Blade) serves the second guitar and as a replacement for the various Pete found himself Paul Kleff, who had previously grabbed the strings at live from Metal Church. Live-Twisted Sister-bassist Russ Pzutto and drummer Steve “Dr. Killdrums ” Wacholz (ex-SAVATAGE/Crimson Glory) Complete the band, and on tour Tony Rossi will thrash the skins.
But enough name-dropping. Into the Fray and the EP switched to full carrot. Well, for the time being there is not much to do, as we are dealing with a gentle clean-guitar-intro. But then it finally starts and ‘ Fire Lord ‘ gives the first hard sounds of himself. Singer Scott does not give a bad figure and the following ‘ Phoenix Rising ‘ convinces even more. Clean US power metal, which is not surprising after this impressive name-dropping. Crimson Glory is actually a salute here! ‘ New Order ‘ then tends to get into the metal Church notch, but as a song I don’t even now get off the stool. Good midfield, I’d say. The instrumental solo ‘ last Flight ‘ is already something special. Not because it would never have been world class before, but because this solo still comes from Pete himself. Originally this number was meant for the live situation, but now it was almost one to one its way to “Foreverence “. Musicians can also make themselves immortal in some way. The SAVATAGE cover ‘ sleep ‘ is again one of those pieces where I don’t quite know where to pack them. In principle, this ballad is an exact copy of the original, except that SAVATAGE at the end give a bit of gas, while the REVERENCE version remains constant the rest itself.
As a small foretaste of the upcoming live album, which is to be released at the beginning of this year, there are already two songs for tuning in advance. A good half hour of entertaining entertainment, which is offered to the listener on this EP. Fans of the reference bands and solid US power metal should definitely check back. “Full carrot ” or not, I still have it all. Let’s see what still awaits us in the future of REVERENCE.
