Métal Intégral - Chronique / EMERALD

4th heavy metal crusade !

Lecteurs francophones, j'ai écrit initialement cette chronique en anglais pour mon Blog avant l'ouverture de ce site. Plutôt que de vous proposer une traduction approximative, j'ai préféré laissé le texte d'origine. Merci de votre compréhension.

4th album for EMERALD in 8 years, slowly but surely the band grows and shows very good things but also limits…If Hymns Of Steel contains some of the best songs ever done by the band (Blind Mass, We Shall Rise or Bard Of The King), in the end I have realised EMERALD still not wrote one or two “Heavy Metal” hits or catchy songs. It’s maybe the main problem of the band (but it’s the case for many others); a band able to compose good or very good songs but except the cover-song they did from Medieval Steel some years ago, I can’t remember other songs…

But don’t take that as an insult to the band! How many Underground bands are for me “cult” without composed catchy songs or hits? Too many to give you even half of a list! EMERALD stay a good Underground band, musicians are playing with their "Metal Hearts" and are sincere in their attitude since the beginning! But something misses again to make the band climb an echelon, but with such a charismatic guy as Michael VAUCHER (guitar) I really hope that one day EMERALD will succeed and could be invited regularly to play in “80’s Heavy Metal Festivals”!

But I will tell you some other words about Hymns To Steel…The 10 songs are in a style near VIRGIN STEEL and sometimes MAJESTY, the songs are more complex than the ones from Forces Of Doom, and some are more speed, but most of them are in medium or rapid tempo! You will find a cover from CRIMSON GLORY (Azrael); another cover song is ready and will be only on the vinyl version!

Artistic part (cover/booklet…): 5/5
Interest for 80’s Heavy Metal Fans: 4/5
Interest for Traditional Metal fans in general: 2,5/5
RASKAL The French Warrior” : 15/20
RASKAL The Objective : 16/20

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Ewen	Le jeudi 6 janvier 2011
Ville : Bretagne	Even if there's a lack of hits or great catchy songs, we've the opportunity to listen to a nice Heavy-Metal opus from this old band ! They definitely rock and I assume that's all we need. I'm discovering more about this band each day ...