It wasn’t a year and a half ago, that I wrote a review/presentation of MEGATON SWORD’s debut album. I still remember, I wasn’t really quite impressed, however I could acknowledge that the band had made a spectacular effort. They were ambitious and they clearly had a vision of their future, they just had to find the right path that would lead them there. Thus, time has passed, their second album titled “Might and Power” is out, and I am wondering, if they have found the road to might and power, or if they still wander aimlessly?
To be honest, when I listened to the first single “Power” I said “pass”. It sounded like a leftover from the first album, typical for the style, not quite powerful for a first glimpse of a new album, yet good old Chris talked me into giving it a try.
And indeed, the album has things to offer. The album kicks off with two impressive tracks, “The raving light of day” and “Iron plains” both reflecting strong MANOWAR influences. Especially the first track is a tribute to the classic MANOWAR galloping rhythm and is my favorite track of the entire album, while the latter is faster yet reflecting the same powerful epic feeling. “Power” and “Cowards remain”, are closer to the modern epic sound of ETERNAL CHAMPION and GATEKEEPER, and frankly, I do believe that both of them are the weakest of the album.
The following tracks, “Raikaszi”, “All wicked scemes unite” and “Might” are a weird kind of breed. Not quite epic, yet they have a nostalgic vibe, and traces of European 90’s metal, especially Swedish European metal, like MORGANA LeFAY and CANDLEMASS (their faster songs) and a touch of TROUBLE (“Run to the Light” era), PENTAGRAM and other similar acts. I don’t know if I liked them, yet I found them quite interesting. Their soft intro that progresses into a weird, unorthodox song structure is unusual among the loads of 80’s copycats that dominate the scene. The final track, “Babe eternal”, is a power ballad that serves as an outro to the album.
To sum up, I’d say that the album left me with mixed feelings. I had a hope that the band would let their Euro/teutonic influences flourish, yet they shifted towards other paths. It is interesting, as I mentioned, and brave, yet I think that this all-inclusiveness is blurring their vision. I still believe that they have potential, and they are brave enough to experiment with other sounds, something unusual in these bitter times. Give it a try and surely you will find something there.
P.S. it would be a shame not to mention the superb album cover, something that MEGATON SWORD seem to grow a habit of doing. Kudos to that.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
