1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
3.5 stars - solid American neoclassical metal offering, September 23, 2010
2003's Up From the Ashes is the third release from US neoclassical metallers Gothic Knights. The band, which has been active since the early `90s, has a sound that's strongly influenced by not only classic metal artists like Iron Maiden and Yngwie Malmsteen, but classical composers like Bach and Beethoven. The result is a powerful, orchestrated heavy metal sound.
Up From the Ashes is a totally solid album with some great guitar work and perfectly decent vocals and songwriting, but it's not on the same level as the average European power metal album. It lacks the power of a Brainstorm or the precision of a Stratovarius or the melodic aspect of Hammerfall and Edguy. There's an energy present in those bands' albums that makes them instantly resonate with listeners, and I'm not really hearing that on this album. The performances are all tight and professional, as is the overall production. It just never makes the jump from "solid" to "remarkable" status.
To date, Up From the Ashes is the final Gothic Knights album. It may not be anything groundbreaking, but if you're a serious fan of traditional and neoclassical heavy metal, you could do a lot worse than to check this album out. Fans of bands like Manowar, Yngwie Malmsteen, Angel Dust and Hammerfall in particular should enjoy Gothic Knights' brand of metal.
Edition Notes: The Limited Edition version of Up From the Ashes comes in a digipack and includes a sticker, poster and a pair of bonus tracks, including an unexpected cover of Duran Duran's hit "Hungry Like the Wolf." I'm not usually a fan of digipacks, but like all LMP releases this is a really attractive, well put together presentation. I'm less thrilled with the Duran Duran cover. I like the idea, but the end result isn't pretty. Some songs just don't work in a metal setting.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMERICAN POWER METAL, June 7, 2004
IF YOU LIKE MANOWAR,DREAM THEATER OR IRON MAIDEN,YOU'LL LOVE THESE GUYS.THIS NEW ALBUM KICKS MAJOR ASS!I THINK IT'S BETTER THAN THEIR PREVIOUS ALBUM "KINGDOM OF THE KNIGHTS".ALL THE SONGS RULE ON U.F.T.A.THEY DO A METAL VERSION OF A DURAN DURAN HIT,WHICH IN MY OPINION SOUNDS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL.ALL THE TRACKS ARE GREAT.TRUE METAL,REAL METAL FOR THE TRUE METAL FAN.MEET THE KNIGHTS AT THE ROUND TABLE,CHECK THEM OUT LIVE!!!!!!!
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