Love vintage Rainbow, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, and Uriah Heep? Well, then you need to be sure to check out this new release from Finnish band Conquest, titled The Harvest. Originally formed in Helsinki back in 1997, the band released their debut Worlds Apart in 1999, but many line-up changes (at one time Nightwish bassist Marco Hietala was also in the band) eventually led to the breakup of the group. Vocalist Peter James Goodman put Conquest back together in 2011, assembling Janne Laviranta (Bass), Ville Siuruainen (Drums), Kasperi Heikkinen (Guitars), and Tuomas Seppälä (Keyboards, Guitars ) to round out the line-up, using song both old and new to complete The Harvest.
The album is well played & written old school melodic hard rock and heavy metal, with Goodman's Bruce Dickinson inspired vocals leading the charge over heavy riffs, blazing guitar solos, driving keyboards, and tight rhythms. "Primitive" sounds like a long lost track from Rainbow's Rising period, complete with virtuoso guitar & keyboard duels, majestic melodies, and powerful vocals. "Red Horizon" has those galloping Maiden styled rhythms, and "Touch of Danger" contains some haunting melodies and beefy guitar & keyboard riffs that wouldn't be out of place on any classic or recent Uriah Heep release. The title track is a great emotional & moody slice of hard rock/metal, complete with a tasty guitar solo from Heikkinen, while "Wings of Death" again brings to mind Dio-era Rainbow thanks to some gothic tinged neo-classical melodies and a medieval flair. "Vanishing" is a nice little melodic piece, similar to Heep's more acoustic based material, and the upbeat, heavy rock of "Rock the Roof Off" is a must for Deep Purple/Rainbow fans, chock full of catchy melodies, sizzling riffs, and tasty keys. For a great slice of symphonic, melodic hard rock, you can't go wrong with "Drifting in the Dark", which features a powerful vocal from Goodman, and the lush ballad "Armageddon" has a sizzling guitar solo from Seppala. The CD contains a vibrant bonus track, called "A Night in the Cold World", a real enjoyable melodic rocker dripping with majestic keyboards, potent riffs, and fantastic vocal harmonies.
Featuring a few guest spots from Marco Hietala (Nightwish), Tuomo Lassila (ex-Stratovarius), Pate Kivinen (ex-Hanoi Rocks), and Alexander Kuoppala (ex-Children of Bodom), The Harvest is very close to being an all-star affair. Filled with memorable melodies and arrangements that pay homage to some of the great hard rock & heavy metal bands of the '70s & '80s, Conquest have put together a stellar CD here that heavy rock fans will want to seek out.
For purchasing information-the CD price is $18 including shipping to USA ONLY by PayPal to Sammyj1968@gmail.com
Track Listing
1.
Primitive
2.
Red Horizon
3.
Touch of Danger
4.
The Harvest
5.
The Path
6.
Wings of Death
7.
Vanishing
8.
Rock the Roof Off
9.
Drifting in the Dark
10.
Armageddon
11.
Night in the Cold World
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