Noble Beast - Noble Beast

I just want to get this out of the way, I fuckin' love Bandcamp. I remember back in the day when all we had was the tape trading scene. Then the internet came and we had another way of getting bands exposure that they would not have otherwise had. So we are here at 2014, Myspace blows; Facebook is not really good for musicians; and Reverbnation is meh. Bandcamp is where I have found so many metal gems as of late and this includes this St. Paul, Minnesota quartet, Noble Beast. These guys play a traditional/power metal that reminds me of old Iron Savior and a bit of Falconer. Weird mix, you say? Yep, it sure is but they fuckin' rock! Their self titled debut is a nice slab of heavy metal that has a slight twist on the genre, the vocalist is a baritone that can also wail. With the right exposure, this band could go far.

Okay, so some would say that the power metal fantasy lyrics have been overdone. Yep, it has. But some bands can pull it off if their music is up to the task. These guys are the real deal. The opener, "Iron Clad Angels" sets the mood with an ass kicking speed metal song that relies on massive riffs and guitar melodies and even tremolos that are melodic and full of hooks. The choruses are catchy and you will find yourself singing along to them. The vocalist is a baritone almost opera type that can go up into a Piet Sielck sounding tenor as well as also hitting some high note screams that's typical of the genre. He's quite unique and his baritone actually reminds me a lot of Menhir's Heiko Gerull's clean vocals.The solos on this song are excellent and well done without being pretentious. They also have some melodies that remind me of Falconer's early work. Yeah the lyrics and song titles are power metal cheesy but the songs kick your ass!

The rest of the album is more of the same, heavy metal at it's finest. Songs like "Behold the Face of Your Enemy," and the title track are speedy numbers with catchy riffs, melodic hooks and sing along choruses. Again the guitars shine here with twin harmonies as well as killer solos. "Mast of Depravity" has a great main riff that's ballsy that will have you headbanging in no time. It's a galloping metal tune that's powerful and melodic. These guys know how to write a song. "The Dragon Reborn" has a main riffs that is harmonized twin guitars that reek of Falconer. If any song reminds me of them, this is it. There's also the eight plus minute "We Burn" that is epic and complex without being over long or losing steam. And we have another epic anthem "On Wings of Steel" that has a chorus that you HAVE to sing along with. Same with the album closer, "Nothing to Repent." Epic and melodic anthems that could stand up to a lot of the classics of the genre.

Honestly, there is not a bad song on this album...not even a skipper or filler. Each song is well written and played with the quality of veteran bands. If I didn't know better, I would swear this band has been around for decades. These guys are young and have a HUGE future ahead of them. I really can't wait to see what these guys do next.

9.5/10