Customer Reviews

Infatuator

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What you essentially get with this record is an offering of driving European power metal from the former members of 2 noteworthy bands in the genre (Royal Hunt and Sinner, respectively).The songs happen to draw their lyrical content from the heavily borrowed and ridiculously worn out sci-fi and space subjects(hey, did you remotely expect something else from a European power metal act?...I thought not). There are hearty doses of melody on this record and obvious influences of both bands. DC Cooper throws some familiar "Hunt" flavored vocal tones probably crafted during his tenure under Andre Andersen while Alex Beyrodt enhances his catchy Sinner/Primal Fear'esque Les Paul riffs with more than a few "Yngwie" influenced runs. Alex's lead guitar work on the first track is a perfect example of this. Torsten Röhre's keyboard styles pass for those of Frank Rossler's(Sinner) quite nicely.
Mr.Cooper probably couldve been the next Rob Halford as Judas Priest's "All Guns Blazing" is decently covered (with Cooper's own vocal add-ins in certain parts of the song).But overall I thought this version was not as tight as the one and only original done by the "metal gods" themselves(go figure). A few interesting dramatic keyboard intros here and there got my attention. Bottom line: I got this disc mainly because I pretty much follow anything Mat Sinner or Alex Beyrodt record, in the Europower metal world they're that good(in my opinion). If this is the case with you or your traditional metal collection needs its periodic "European refreshing", then purchase away!! If you are looking for something groundbreaking or you're specific for a completely different metal style (other than those of the "component" bands I mentioned above)...well, you won't get it here.

2001's Infatuator is the second album from Silent Force, the melodic power metal band formed by guitar wizard Alex Beyrodt and powerful vocalist D.C. Cooper.

D.C. definitely steps out of the Royal Hunt shadow on this album. Infatuator rocks a lot harder than Royal Hunt ever would, and this gives Cooper a chance to really exercise his considerable vocal talents. Listen to the title track and you'll swear it's a song that was accidentally left off of Judas Priest's Painkiller album. The band's spot-on cover of All Guns Blazing further cements the Priest comparison.

It's not all Priest worship though. Beyrodt's guitar work gives the album a distinct European power metal feel, recalling Sinner and Primal Fear (obviously) as well as elements of Malmsteen, Kamelot, and Stratovarius. The trio of songs dedicated to the movie Gladiator also adds to the European power metal sound in that it supplies equal measures of epic subject matter and cheesy lyrical content.

Cooper's voice is in top form, adding melody and power to these songs, even when the lyrics get a bit silly. The guy's like a force of nature, and could probably make Michael Bolton songs sound good. Beyrodt (who I must confess I had not heard of until Silent Force's debut) is an incredible guitarist, and more than up to the task of balancing Cooper's vocals.

I still prefer D.C. Cooper in a more melodic setting (like his solo album or the Missa Mercuria album), but he really fits the power metal genre. This is another impressive release from Silent Force, and an album that should please just about any power metal fan.

Though I do have vocalist DC Cooper's solo album and his two releases while a member of Royal Hunt (Paradox and Moving Target), this is my first experience with Silent Force (I don't have Silent Force's debut album). And I am not disappointed. The brand of music Silent Force plays is Judas Priest influenced power metal. In fact, the end result sounds like a combination of Priest and power metal act Kamelot. Former Sinner guitarist Alex Beyrodt has shown me that he is one of the best guitarists in power metal. His style is aggressive and razor sharp. The songs vary from Painkiller-era Priest tunes like "Infatuator" to straight ahead European-style power metal songs like "We Must Use the Power". All in all, this is good package of music. It should please Judas Priest fans and fans of European power metal bands such as Kamelot and Stratovarius. It doesn't hurt that DC Cooper may be the best vocalist in all of metal.

DC Cooper can sing with the best of them. The band sounds a lot like Priest and Maiden, and the muscianship is excellent. The triology on this disc is weak, but the rest of the songs rock. This is a must buy for any fan of screaming heavy metal.

Not since (early) Judas Priest have I heard power metal of this quality. Though I do not know much about the band and its origin, but I do know that it out and out f-cking rocks. Seriously, this is right now one of my most listened to albums. The record as a whole is just super fast, super heavy, and has vocals that don't growl or squeak. Songs like "Fall Into Oblivion" (the best on the album), "All Guns Blazing", and "The Blade" are just tracks that remind you of the good ol' days were you could just rock out to metal in your lving room playing air guitar. The singer is fabulos, the guitarist(s) are just amazing, the drum work kicks a-s, and the bassist will just pound you to hell. this is by far one of the strongest releases out right now. If you like bands like (old) Judas Priest, Halford, Evergrey, and Iron Maiden, you will love this old meets new album of pure metal genius...

-MC

Silent Force is an international band, consisting of German instrumentalists (notably guitarist Alex Beyrodt) and American singer D.C. Cooper, formerly of Royal Hunt. This, their second release, was a significant improvement over their first, and an outstanding CD by any standard. This band's style is melodic metal, with some progressive and neoclassical influences. Most of the songs are in a metallic style, with a complex interplay of guitar and keyboards creating a wall of sound. The vocals manage to be both intense and tasteful. The lyrics are quite melodramatic. There is also an orchestral suite in the middle, with lyrics about Ancient Rome. The song melodies are always engaging. This is one of those rare CDs that is consistently strong from beginning to end.

Silent Force is an international band, consisting of German instrumentalists (notably guitarist Alex Beyrodt) and American singer D.C. Cooper, formerly of Royal Hunt. This, their second release, was a significant improvement over their first, and an outstanding CD by any standard. This band's style is melodic metal, with some progressive and neoclassical influences. Most of the songs are in a metallic style, with a complex interplay of guitar and keyboards creating a wall of sound. The vocals manage to be both intense and tasteful. The lyrics are quite melodramatic. There is also an orchestral suite in the middle, with lyrics about Ancient Rome. The song melodies are always engaging. This is one of those rare CDs that is consistently strong from beginning to end.

This is Silent Force's second release & MAN it is down right AWESOME! Yes it is power metal that you've heard before but it is well written & executed & it's definitely one of my favorites! (I hear a lot of similarities to Kenziner & Primal Fear in this release.) If you are a power metal fan, don't miss out on this release!