Based in Houston, Texas, Azrael’s Bane was formed in the summer of 2002. They have since developed a strong following through touring and sharing the stage with international acts such as Motorhead, Hammerfall, W.A.S.P, Danzig, Ripper Owens, George Lynch (Dokken), Metal Church and Nevermore.
This album is a re-release, with additional songs, running to a hefty 24 in total. The music has been described as power/progressive rock and I, therefore, thought that it would grip and entertain me…Sadly, this was not the case.
I am usually very positive about music I review, but I have failed to connect with this release at all and have tried on numerous occasions to find things to be positive about. The whole album is well constructed, but I don’t like the production, the singing or the general song structures. This is my personal opinion and I am sure that dedicated fans will find much to appreciate with songs such as “Shades Of Memory” or “Damian“. However, I have been left disappointed and perplexed as to why this record doesn’t engage me more.
As mentioned earlier, the production doesn’t help and the drums don’t sound as clear as they could. The guitar textures are fine, but the singing is probably what I don’t like most. Trey Gadler is the vocalist and has power to his voice, yet the tone grates on me like someone scratching on a chalkboard. He is like Axl Rose, but without the sense of control or theatre.
Guitar work on much of the album is great technically. The songs, however, don’t grab you as a listener and I didn’t feel emotionally involved in any of them. I don’t know – the whole collection feels a bit soulless and it is a shame that the record, which could have given so much more finds its way into a select number where I am genuinely without enthusiasm. Sorry guys!
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