Year : 2018
Style : Heavy Metal , Power Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video
Size : 186 mb
Bio:
Fifth Angel is an American heavy metal band from Bellevue, Washington. Fifth Angel was formed in the suburbs of Seattle in 1983, specifically, in the Bellevue area. The band's initial lineup consisted of Ted Pilot (vocals), James Byrd (lead guitar), Ed Archer (rhythm guitar), Ken Mary (drums) and Kenny Kay (bass). This line up went into Steve Lawson Productions studio in late 1983 with Terry Date as producer/engineer and recorded a four song demo that consisted of "Fade to Flames", "Fifth Angel", "In the Fallout", and "Wings of Destiny". Shrapnel Records signed them in 1985 and financed the recording of five more songs to complete a self titled album that eventually appeared in 1986.Kenny Kay left the group in 1987 and was replaced by John Macko. The group was signed a major label deal with Epic Records in 1988 and the debut album was re-released. As the band prepared to record a second album they lost founding guitar player James Byrd. Kendall Bechtel was brought in as his replacement. In 1989, the follow-up record, Time Will Tell appeared, but the band had lost its label support,with its members going their separate ways by 1990.Although many rumors cropped up in the 2000s about a reunion, it finally happened in 2009. Ed Archer, John Macko and Kendall Bechtel were joined by drummer Jeffrey McCormack and in 2010, the band played its first live show in its history at the Keep it True Festival, with guest singer Peter Orullian (ex-Heir Apparent).McCormack left the group in 2011, along with announced lead singer David Fefolt (the latter performed on some demos, but never actually performed live or officially recorded with the band). The group was rumored to be demoing new material, but so far nothing had come of it.By 2017, Fifth Angel had been active once again. Original drummer Ken Mary rejoined the group, and vocalist Peter Orullian returned to sing for some 2017 engagements. The band booked two shows for the year: April 22, 2017 at El Corazon in Seattle, Washington, and the Keep it True Festival in Germany on April 29, 2017. The band also had a huge slate of demos that it planned to work on following the Keep It True Festival, in hopes of finally putting together a new record.Their third album, The Third Secret, will be released in September 2018 on Nuclear Blast.
Album:
Perhaps one of the most legendary outfits to come out of Seattle, USA, alongside metal giants like Queensrÿche, Metal Church and Sanctuary, Fifth Angel took the scene by storm with their awesome homonym debut album in 1986. Shortly after releasing another gem in ‘Time Will Tell’ (1989), though, former vocalist Ted Pilot, Ed Archer (guitars) and Ken Mary (drums) decided to call it quits, only to reform in 2010 to headline one of the greatest festivals in the world to me, the iconic Keep It True Festival. Warmed by their reception and sparkled by another sold-out crowd at Keep It True 2017, Mary, John Macko (bass) and Kendall Bechtel (guitars, vocals) teamed-up in the studio to release their highly anticipated third album, ‘The Third Secret’.While – of course – this doesn’t stand a chance against the marvelous work put out in the 80’s, the Seattle natives managed to do a great job in terms of mixing old and new, with flairs of their heydays and many modern elements that work today (not too many, thank Odin), which took form in a respectable and fun comeback, that actually gives the impression that these dudes were active all this time, and not on a 22+ years hiatus.Opener “Stars Are Falling” gives us a taste of what’s to come by being a good balance between melodic and heavy, with Kendall Bechtel debuting his Dio-esque vocals on a high note. Catchy and relevant, the song chases away all doubts and proves that Fifth Angel is still in form.“We Will Rise” is another great tune with an even catchier chorus and stellar guitar work by Bechtel, especially in the main riffs. The next trio of songs is not quite on par with the powerful beginning, but still manages to keep the spirits high: “Queen of Thieves” has the same rhythm throughout its whole course and fails to be impactful. “Dust to Dust” antagonizes with this with a cool heavy/power atmosphere and good tempo, especially when looking at Ken Mary’s drum work which provides a healthy dose of strength. Sadly, “Can You Hear Me?” drops a bucket of cold water in the album dynamic so far because of its sorrowful, emotional aura and so-so execution, which hurts the overall experience.“This Is War” punches you in the face yet again with killer leads and a bombastic chorus. It reminds me of a Herman Frank type of song in the sense of being straightforward and crunchy at its maximum. Next up is “Fatima”, which was a very difficult song to review. It stands in a limbo between being a full song and an intro to the title track, so it doesn’t actually features any standout point worth mentioning except for the fact that it’s an atmospheric semi-ballad.The title-track, for that matter, lacks in enthusiasm and it’s just too common a song to carry an album name. I would even call it bland, because of the wrong choice for speed and the overall neutered songwriting in the track. From this moment on, though, the album takes a huge turn and Fifth Angel graces us with the best songs here: “Shame on You” and “Hearts of Stone”.In the most US-power way possible, both tracks are filled with pure, raw energy and represent the greatest side of a band like Fifth Angel: no frills, full-on bombastic attacks of inspiration and love for metal. “Shame on You” is faster and thrilling, and “Hearts of Stone”, best song in the entire album, has a marvelous stride to it, with galloping riffs and vicious execution; both have that newer US-power metal vibe akin of Riot V and Attacker that works wonders.These guys have been away from the metal scene for more than 22 years, and to do a comeback like ‘The Third Secret’ is not a mere feat. With brilliant guitar work and the overall songwriting being more than good, Fifth Angel has managed to gather some great material considering the circumstances that surrounded the band all these years. Like I said in the beginning, this won’t touch the band’s classic albums, but it’s more than worthy of your attention when considering today’s standards. Here’s hoping that this is a fruitful and healthy comeback, and not just a swansong.
Line Up:
Kendall Bechtel - Guitars (1987-1989, 2009-present), Vocals (2018-present) - See also: TKO, ex-Q5 (live), ex-Ultrastone
Ed Archer - Guitars (1984-1989, 2018-present), Bass (1986)
John Macko - Bass (1987-1989, 2009-present) - See also: ex-Redhead Devil
Ken Mary - Drums (1984-1989, 2017-present) - See also: Flotsam and Jetsam, ex-Accept, ex-Chastain, ex-David T. Chastain, ex-Impellitteri, ex-James Byrd, ex-TKO, ex-Strike, ex-Alice Cooper, ex-House of Lords, ex-Magdallan, ex-Randy Hansen, ex-Soul Shock Remedy
Tracklist:
01. Stars Are Falling
02. We Will Rise
03. Queen Of Thieves
04. Dust To Dust
05. Can You Hear Me
06. This Is War
07. Fatima
08. Third Secret
09. Shame On You
10. Hearts Of Stone
+ Video "Third Secret" (Official Video)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
