Paradox: Tales of the Weird

Ah, it's a truly great feeling to hear that the thrash old-timers Paradox are still in such a great shape! When listening to their latest, impressively fresh offering called Tales of the Weird, it's actually hard to believe that the band started out in the mid-1980s.

Mind you, Paradox haven't suddenly started playing nu metal or anything like that. They're sticking to what they do best: composing earth-shattering old school thrash metal tunes with just the right amount of melody. The epic title track opens the album in a wonderful fashion, creating unforgettable atmosphere of suspense and mystery from the get-go. If, however, what you're waiting for is the more typical, speedy Paradox, you're getting just that right after "Tales of the Weird": both "Day of Judgement" and "Brutalized" are perfect examples of the adrenaline rush-style of playing the band had been perfecting for over two decades now. And later on, track #7 called "Slashdead" – another favorite of mine – does exactly what it says in the title: slashes dead any remaining doubts whether the Paradox guys can still perform metal with the same ferocity that was their trademark in the 1980s!

Thankfully, though, Tales of the Weird is by no means monotonous, as the speedy "Slashdead" is promptly followed by the great, laid-back "Zeitgeist" which sports some inspired acoustic guitar sounds, and the final track is a hard rock surprise – an energetic cover of Rainbow's "A Light in the Black". And really, all tracks recorded here bring something interesting to the overall impression of the album – even if they aren't all equally memorable. But how can you go wrong with such talented guitarists as Paradox veteran Charly Steinhauer and newcomer Christian Muenzer (whom you may know from Obscura or Necrophagist)? Well, you simply can't – just listen to all the guitar solos scattered throughout the album and tell me you're not amazed!

Definitely old-school yet at no point sounding tired or clichéd, Tales of the Weird is a welcome return of a legendary thrash band. I would love to hear more from Paradox as soon as possible!

Tracklisting:
1. Tales of the Weird
2. Day of Judgement
3. Brutalized
4. Fragile Alliance
5. Escalation
6. Brainwashed
7. Slashdead
8. Zeitgeist
9. The Downward Spiral
10. A Light in the Black

Added: January 5th 2013
Reviewer: Bartek Paszylk
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2281
Language: english

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