German guitar player Herman Frank began his solo release streak with 'Loyal to None' album back in 2009. He had been busy with Victory, Sinner, Moon'Doc and Accept, and maybe he simply didn't have time to release his solo work earlier. You know what brought me to that conclusion? The fact, that this albums is heavily influenced by 1980's, and earlier, heavy metal/rock.

Mr. Frank wasn't the sole, admittedly big, reason why I decided to order this album from him, no. The vocals... They are handled by the voice I simply enjoy to listen to, a lot: Jioti Parcharidis, to whom I got introduced when I found Human Fortress. Now this pairing... It cannot go wrong, now can it?!?! Of course it can't!!! Add the drummer Stefan Schwarzmann (Pänzer, also ex-Accept, ex-U.D.O., ex-Running Wild etc.) to that equation with ex-Running Wild bassist Peter Pichl (now with Yargos and Victory), and the Teutonic metal/hard rock here is dense and firm, guaranteed.

A skull with crossbones cover art kind of reminds me about Running Wild, but that not the case with the music, really. This is rather melodic heavy metal banging. And not in vein of Accept either. Herman can get that fretboard in flames, as is clear straight from the start. Double kicks drums firing as well as intense bass guitar is. This is a more sturdy platform for Jioti's vocals, surely, and he's not shy with screaming. This is high-octane stuff for big part, but with many varying rhythms and vibes. 'Heal Me', as its title might imply, is the first mid-paced song, a total anthem that has a bit of a US vibe to it; like Winger, Lillian Axe or something similar, but definitely not glam. 'Hero' and 'Kill the King' continue this trend. The Teutonic tendencies are back soon, though. Well, 'Metal Godz' is more of a rock 'n' roll piece, metalized, with huge Saxon vibe to it.

Herman's melodiousness is somewhat reminiscent of Axel Rudi Pell at times, but certainly way less Blackmore-ish ('Kill the King' here is NOT a Rainbow cover). He alternates between heavier riffing, power chords and more technical fingers-in-fire playing and shredding. Of course there are more than one guitar track happening at time, so this is not like this quartet was jamming in a room with recording turned on. The songs are mostly kept in reasonable lengths, and many include a long guitar solo section, but the variety (in solo sections, too) makes it alive.

Jioti's vocals remind me of Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Piet Sieck (Iron Savior) and Johnny Gioeli (Axel Rudi Pell) here and there, but still it is easy to recognize who's singing. There's a bit of vibration in Jioti's voice, that give it a tad fragile feel, but when he screams, there's no trace of that at all. I admit I think his voice was more home in Human Fortress, but he ain't failing here, not even close. The lyrics are partly mystical, partly filled with human feelings and history.

The album sounds good. It is both bass-heavy and trebly, so it does not choke. It's also on the organic side. There's energy in performances, and the rhythm section is sturdy as hell. You can feel the power flowing from this, and it's fun to listen to. Sadly, this album was this fantastic line-up's only one.

Herman Frank was left in the shadows in Accept, at both song writing and live shows. Not knowing the reason for it (that other guitarist, perhaps...), but it certainly doesn't surprise me that he wanted to come forth with his own stuff. And 'Loyal to None' is a sturdy testament of that! Believe me, this is one bloody essential German heavy metal album among all the myriad of German heavy metal albums. If this doesn't not make you wear your battle vest and bang that fist in the air, then there's something wrong with you.

Rating: 8½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
11/22/2023 11:22