Well I am always excited when I come across new TOBY KNAPP music. Needless to say that I have been a fan for years, first came across with the mighty ONWARD and later on with WHERE EVIL FOLLOWS and of course NECRYTIS. Both his playing and his sound are original, should you hear something he has recorded you can definitely tell it is his guitar and of course I respect the fact that he is almost always active, with one band after another in power metal and beyond.
TOBY KNAPP’S EVERMOVING is Toby Knapp’s latest venture, arriving one year after the last WHERE EVIL FOLLOWS album and four years after the most recent ONWARD release, both of which were quite enjoyable. This time Toby dwells deep into the eighties (an era that I believe is always in his mind) in order to approach the speed metal (early thrash) sound of this time. And before you start whining “what are the differences with his two previous albums” well I have to say that there are not many since TOBY KNAPP has the composing mentality and playing of this era and it is obvious through out his work. Therefore “Power Metal Prophecy” continues where the last WHERE EVIL FOLLOWS album stopped but with a twist.
Compositions tend to be more aggressive in an early SLAYER/AGENT STEEL/OVERKILL way, which means high velocity “no holds barred” metal. However the lead work swifts towards a more melodic side, reminiscent of Akira Takasaki and George Lynch (I should add my all time favorite Warren DeMartini) style. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a “melodic metal” album, this is heavy metal with attitude, fast and raw sprinkled with adorable virtuoso guitar that Toby Knapp is known for.
This time, Toby Knapp decided to handle the vocals as well as everything else in the studio. I be really honest, I’d rather he recorded his albums with full band (as well as every other “one man project out there”), for me this way he could unleash his true potential but anyway. His voice is actually quite nice, and fits perfectly in the material, something like early Mustaine, Tom Gattis or Coburn Pharr. Though the vocals are somewhere behind the other instruments (like the latest ONWARD album) this somehow creates a “live in the studio” feeling that catches the vibe of the mid 80’s. As for his guitar work, there is little to say that hasn’t been already said: he is stunning both as a player and his approach to guitar sound: raw, unforgiving and vibrating.
To sum up, I’d say that I enjoyed this one and it is future purchase for me. If you are into this style of heavy metal, stop looking for your next well polished retro kids and check this out. You will not regret it.
”Power Metal Prophecy” has been released on the 6th of May 2026 by Stormspell Records and is available on CD and Digital format.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
