Artist: Civil War
Album: The Killer Angels
Genre: Power Metal
Release Date: 11th June 2013
Label: Despotz Records
Album Review
With the recent success of SABATON these past few years, one would think the melodic/ power metal band would have enough on its place. Surprisingly, just shortly around the release of their latest album, most of the members felt that working with one group wasn’t enough, and set forth to create a new side project: CIVIL WAR. Comprised of guitarists Oscar Montelius and Rikard Sunden, drummer Daniel Mullback (all of SABATON) and keyboardist Daniel Myhr, the group also went to recruiting Nils Johansson of ASTRAL DOORS and bassist Pizza of HELL PATROL (perhaps the only non-melodic/ power metal member on the list), the group creates a sound very much like their predecessors. CIVIL WAR is definitely a melodic metal/ power metal sound that is right on par with SABATON or any well-known name in the genre. It doesn’t present anything new, but it doesn’t ruin the name either or feel like a half effort side project.
CIVIL WAR’s debut album, ‘The Killer Angels,’ touches on various aspects of the band’s name from different points in history. From ‘Rome is Falling’ to ‘Gettysburg’ everyone can find a piece of history here delivered in a metal style. The music itself is pretty straightforward- high pitched vocals that definitely feel at place with 80s metal, a good mix of keyboard and guitar solos, and steady drumming that feels right where it belongs: in the middle, not too much in the front or pushed too far in the back. Tracks like ‘First To Fight’ are definitely going to become concert favourites with the chorus and those who know SABATON will feel that CIVIL WAR is just a living extension of it, somewhat in the way that DEVICE is an extension of DISTURBED. Thankfully, the two aren’t complete clones, but the overall album structure feels very much similar over time- high energy without too much in the way of interludes or “soft” tracks to mix things up completely. Still, for most power metal fans, this debut is definitely solid and has all the elements needed to make CIVIL WAR noticeable, despite the rather famous names of all the members who are making this side project worth listening to.
Tracklist
01. King of the Sun - 5:27
02. First to Fight - 4:19
03. Saint Patrick's Day - 5:11
04. Rome Is Falling - 5:24
05. Sons of Avalon - 4:11
06. I Will Rule the Universe - 5:11
07. Lucifer's Court - 3:46
08. Brother Judas - 4:16
09. My Own Worst Enemy - 3:51
10. Gettysburg - 5:05
11. March across the Belts - 4:01
Line-up
Pizza - Bass
Nils Patrik Johansson - Vocals
Daniel Mÿhr - Keyboards
Rikard Sundén - Guitars
Oskar Montelius - Guitars
Daniel Mullback - Drums
Website
https://www.facebook.com/Civilwarsweden
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 6
Sound: 7
Total: 6.5 / 10
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