Going back almost one year to the day, I reviewed Battle Beast's self-titled sophomore release and admitted to be pleasantly surprised. You see, generally the 'happy, swords & sorcery, fantasy' laden power metal thing is a hit or miss with me, but every so often a band comes around that at least tries to do something a little different to mix things up a bit. This Finnish outfit seems to be really trying hard to push the boundaries, and for that I have to give them credit. Unholy Savior is their latest Nuclear Blast release, and it once again sees their dynamic vocalist Noora Louhimo putting on a powerhouse performance. She's not the most mindblowing singer in metal by any means, but she does a lot of things right and provides plenty of variety in her delivery, which helps give these heavy hitting, symphonic, and at times progressive tracks a real depth and lots of layers. "Lionheart" and the title track kick things off in fine fashion, each tune instantly memorable and upbeat in classic European power metal fashion, but with lots of guitar & keyboard solos thrown in for good measure. Noora mixes things up perfectly, getting aggressive when needed, but dropping back to a more angelic delivery when the moments are slightly tranquil. She's raging on the venomous "I Want The World… And Everything In It", and shows the world she's a metal frontwoman to be reckoned with on the manic ripper "Madness". It's the opposite end of the spectrum however on the lush, ethereal "Sea of Dreams", her dreamy vocals wafting over gentle keyboards and acoustic guitars. Furious riffs, blazing guitar solos, and speed metal rhythms permeate the crushing "Speed and Danger", while the symphonic "Touch in the Night" is a must hear for any Nightwish fan, and includes a killer chorus that you'll have a hard time getting out of your head. "Far Far Away" is the albums Judas Priest/Doro styled classic heavy metal number, and again, look for plenty of fist thrusting/horn raising/air guitar moments.
I've learned over the years to have low expectations with a lot of power metal acts, especially some of the newer ones, so it's great that at least one of them consistently is surprising me on a regular basis. If you haven't yet checked out Battle Beast, you need to do so, and their latest Unholy Savior is a very solid release.
Track Listing
1. Lionheart
2. Unholy Savior
3. I Want The World… And Everything In It
4. Madness
5. Sea of Dreams
6. Speed and Danger
7. Touch in the Night
8. The Black Swordsman
9. Hero's Quest (Instrumental)
10. Far Far Away
11. Angel Cry
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