Infernö Records aren't interested about modern, plastic metal music. I lift my drinking horn to that! The label released France's Crushing Blow's sophomore album 'Cease Fire' in late 2010, six years after the debut (I've never heard it). Crushing Blow flirt with fine melodic weaving, and then light the fire of metal to make listener crush all fake souls.

Crushing Blow's music could originate from some 20-30 years ago. No matter if the band's sound is original or not, sometimes it manages to give me similar sensations when I was a newcomer to metal music, and it was fun to discover all these great bands that still rule my world. Any ways, hearing the symphonic intro, I was expecting some totally heroic power metal...

'The Wizard's Tale' (yeah, the song titles may suck) surely is power metal. Extremely catchy melodies above fast double kick drumming and harmony guitars. The vocalist Valène De Santis's voice is powerful and sexy (especially when she sings in a raspy way), and she reminds me heavily of Doro Pesch (ex-Warlock). A good change from operatic and angelic styles, which are the majority today. 'Redemption' is in more heavy metal territory, partly being very NWOBHM-esque. The album dwells in and between these two styles, for example 'Dreams' mixes Judas Priest style high octane metal and more neoclassical bits, while 'Memories' has some glam to it. I must mention the closer 'The Prophecies', where female and male vocals duet. The song is more epic than the rest of the album, and simply works like hell! There are a few songs (e.g. the title track) that begin as ballad or such, but they ten to speed up towards the ending (except touchy 'My Venom'). Generally, the songs are advancing, changing, so it's hard to know where a song might be going. Suits well to me, it's better than simple verse-brige-chorus method. Of course this album is filled with choruses, but the song structures surely ain't pop.

The production is a small letdown. It's heavy yet still clear. The drums, for whatever reason, sound too machiney, especially cymbals and hi-hat. It just sticks to my ear, I can't help it. Otherwise the albums sounds okay, and definitely not too modern. Playingwise this is, well, metal, hehe. Guitars can be sturdy, fast, screaming, anything required. The rhythm section know their stuff. By the way, there are some synths on the album, but also many song without them.

I think this should go down for those who enjoy heavy/power metal with female vocals, and melodic metal generally. The band sound familiar with hundreds of acts, but still they have their own kind of cooking going on. That fact saves this album, and the band from sinking into grey mass.

Rating: 7 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
02/02/2011 22:04