I do not know too many Aussie heavy metal bands, to tell the truth. Dungeon has been my favourite one for many, many years now. Then Pegazus descended before me and told me to sit on its back. The winged horse promised to get me to my destiny. Alas, the truth was nothing that thrilling.

The sophomore album and still the band's music bathes in tediousness. The riffs just do not manage to command me to raise my horns up to the sky. The riffs often tend to be totally simplistic, bland and forgettable. Plus annoying; The first of these abominations come already 10 seconds into the album! This is the original sin of this album. Guitar leads and solos are far better and manage to enliven the music.

However, the musical influences are quite varied. Certainly that alone cannot make any album rule. There is more epic (which is not very epic in Pegazus's case, though) songs, such as the opener and 'Witches Hex' which has one of them gem choruses on the album. Then there are rockers, such as 'Cry out' which flirts with early Iron Maiden, and rock 'n' roll piece 'The Werewolf'. While the latter at first sounds like it was out of place on the album, it actually does work; it is a catchy song, which the album generally misses. Yes, there are many catchy parts throughout the album, but hardly any single composition manages in that.

However, it is the instrumental song 'Life on Mars' which in a huge debt to these British legends; it's a very much like a Maiden instrumental such as 'Transylvania' or 'Genghis Khan' and borrows very heavily from songs such as 'Phantom of the Opera'. 'Braveheart' is not inspired by 'The Clansman' (Bravehart was a nickname for Scottish king Robert the Bruce anyway), but is a take with dragging pace on true metal. But yeah, it certainly has its Maiden moment during the guitar solo part... But enough of that influence. Also Judas Priest and Black Sabbath influences can be heard, on riffing and vocals lines, like example 'Mother Earth' shows. While 'Wings of Destiny' is more of a heavy metal album, it has quite a bit of power metal stuff in it. Sadly we also have a ballad closing the album. Piano and cheesiness alert!

While the band's performances can be energetic, the production does its best to bring it all down. This sounds simply powerless and rather thin. The guitar tones aren't rabid or fleshy, the drums are not loud (exept for the snapping snare), but at least the bass sounds like it should. But there could be so much more punch in the sound department, gnenerally. The vocals are rather good. Sometimes clear, sometimes with grit, and with quite a wide range. They are somewhere between Eric Adams (Manowar; the screams, especially), Rob Halford (Judas Priest) and Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), but far powerless and with not that good vocal lines, generally. Some are, but the vocals suffer from the same problem as the rhythm guitars. The lyrics are both fantasy and reality, and are okay in all their childishness. This I expected from guys whose mother tongue is English.

Pegazus feel like they are a lite-version of something bigger. That bugs me, but also can posses certain charm to it. The albums seems to works at times, but others it can get boring as hell. So, this can get into air at times and kind of flap around for some time... As I wrote: lightweight.

Rating: 6- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
11/14/2017 23:11