PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Normally, in conversation down the pub, if the words ‘Israel’, ‘power’ and ‘metal’ come in proximity it’s usually referring how much of one the former has used to drop tonnes of the latter on the Gaza Strip or elsewhere… (not that we’re not getting political, like…).
Which is a roundabout way of bringing us to the absurdly named Metal Scent – yes, you’ve guessed it, a power metal outfit from that renowned rawk stronghold of the state of Israel… this third album is the first to be given a release outside the Middle East (not surprising, really, as their first one was metal versions of local folk songs, and the second was mostly covers of 60s pop tunes – not a very fortuitous beginning to a campaign of global domination).
The result, to be honest, is a fairly average album: it’s well played, filled with loads of double-bass drums kicks and harmonising guitar work, songs about “heroes of legend”, and Rami Salmon has a fairly pleasant voice. But, at the end of the day, it’s nothing special: songs like opener ‘Never Too Late’, ‘Men Of War’ and ‘Silks Of White’ very much draw on the likes of Sabaton and Iced Earth for influence, but would struggle to make filler tracks on either’s even less impressive oeuvres. And the less said about the sub-TNT atrocity that is ‘Spy In The Sky’ the better!
If they’re looking to break out of their homeland, they might go down well on the second or third stages of some of the lesser European festivals.
Score: 4/10
Band link:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Metal-Scent/189376561098603
