Royal Hunt - Paper Blood
Ever since the departure of vocalist D.C. Cooper in the late Nineties, Royal Hunt has never been quite the same - until now, that is. Artension singer John West initially had a tough time filling Cooper's slot, as weak albums like 1999's Fear and 2001's The Mission attest. But then, on 2003's Eyewitness, Royal Hunt unleashed a loosely structured concept album about the media's omnipresence that rocked with a vengeance.
Paper Blood improves upon Eyewitness, but make no mistake: Now, more than ever, Royal Hunt is keyboardist Andre Andersen's band. Sure, synths have always played a huge role in this outfit's dense, classical-meets-metal wall of melodic and majestic sound, but many of these 10 songs (12 on the Magna Carta-released U.S. version) feature extended keyboard intros, and Andersen's pervasive style is all over nearly 20 minutes worth of instrumentals ("Memory Lane," "SK 983" and "Twice Around the World"). Highlights include the songs that best echo what I like to refer to as Royal Hunt's classic era (1995's Moving Target and 1997's Paradox): "Not My Kind" and "Never Give Up," with their sweeping, addictive choruses; "Kiss of Faith" and the title track, which showcase the extremes of West's suddenly dynamic voice; and "Season's Change," a moving ballad.
Andersen does leave room for new guitarist Marcus Jidell to make his mark on these songs, and original drummer Kenneth Olsen returns after an absence caused by hearing problems. Also worth noting are the departures of longtime bassist Steen Mogensen and guitarist Jacob Kjaer, which make Paper Blood's energy and depth even more remarkable. This is easily Royal Hunt's strongest and most exciting album since Paradox.
copas from http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=2518
Tracklist:
1) Break Your Chains
2) Not My Kind
3) Memory Lane
4) Never Give Up
5) Seven Days
6) SK 983
7) Kiss of Faith
8) Paper Blood
9) Season's Change
10) Twice Around the World
mp3 320 kbps
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