I am always thrilled to discovered new bands that manage to catch my attention and stand out from the pile of copycats. Therefore, when I heard about FORLORN HOPE I couldn’t help but noticing that their album is worth giving a shot.
FORLORN HOPE have already released an EP and this is their first full length album, a conceptual musical journey to the Peninsular Wars (somewhere around 1810) and the struggle of the Napoleonic France to rule Europe, something I found quite interesting. But the concept itself is nothing if the music is not worthy of it.
Musically the band plays modern power metal mostly inspired by bands like POWERWOLF, SABATON, HAMMERFALL, ALESTORM, CIVIL WAR with some more retro references like RAGE, RUNNING WILD, ICED EARTH etc. Mid to fast tempo songs blended with discreet keyboards, rough guitar work and vocal leaded. The compositions are pretty straightforward with catchy choruses, melodic leads and galloping guitars, while the song progression is smooth and thrilling. Songs like “Die hard”, “Rifles”, “Badajoz”, “Eagle Hunters” really stand out compared to the rest, yet almost every song is of high quality.
So, everything is great yes? Not really, since the production does not deliver the barrage of sound needed for this kind of metal. While it is not weak, the vocals seem to be way above the rest of the instruments, and I believe that the guitars are not dominant enough. Should the production be more powerful, the band will manage to show their true potential.
To sum up, it would be unfair not to mention the amazing cover art and the magnificent work that has been done in the band’s website. If this is the kind of metal that interests you the most, don’t pass on the them as they are the next big thing.
