HOLY GRAIL - "Sudden Death" (Official Music Video)

artist: Holy Grail

album: Times of Pride and Peril

Below you will find a video from the new album by Holy Grail. You will also find what some reviewers have said about the album, including this publication.

DEAD RHETORIC:

Continuing their triennial album cycle, Times of Pride and Peril as the third studio full-length connects on more of a versatile hook and harmony basis. Anyone can be fast and shred if given talent and chops – in the end it’s those melodic sections that stun and astound, and guitarist Eli Santana with fellow axe man Alex Lee deliver a boatload of those moments on “Those Who Will Remain” and the up-tempo crusher “Descent into the Maelstrom”. The almost ten-minute “Black Lotus” actually opens on a fiery power basis, as James-Paul Luna reaches for the highest notes in his multi-octave larynx a la old Halford – transforming around the mid-way point through a potent Blake Mount bass riff to build into this longer instrumental section that is part progressive and all power, even neo-classical in flourishes before the clean meets doomy ending turns the arrangement over again.

TWO GUYS METAL REVIEWS:

It's interesting to see how Holy Grail have matured as they are a band who I've very much grown up watching. Timse Of Pride And Peril is a long shot from earlier work, and though the traditional bombast and swords and sorcery magic that defines the band is still there you see Holy Grail have started to grow up. There seems to be a bit more focus on chunky rhythms and I feel like this album is a bit more midpaced than usual. Of course - high energy ragers like Sudden Death remind us while we fell in love the band in the first place whilst simultaneously bridging the gap into the vibes that define this particular record. One thing that really gets me about this album is the use of guitarmonies, Holy Grail execute perfectly and help us to see why they grew so popular in the first place.

METAL BULLETIN:

Recently, this band appears to be making some headway in the vicious jungle world of the music business, getting their name out there and some coverage in the press. They kind of stand out, too, don't they?: a younger band from California playing traditional heavy metal, amongst all that fat-angry-bear-growling-screaming metal and all those 80s L.A. has-beens still hanging around because they have run of out money for certain illicit substances. Holy Grail is not glam and they are not extreme metal, they are traditional heavy metal with singing and lots of shredding and hooks. Hey, sounds like a good idea, to me!

They have been dedicated to traditional heavy metal for years now. In fact, Metal Archives shows that the first recording is from 2009. Ever since then they have always found people who enjoy their particular style and there are more than a few reviews on the internet that show that they are impressing new people with each new recording. This 2016 album is the third album and follows the 2013 album "Ride the Void," a work that has an average of 90/100 at Metal Archives. That is not a bad score at all, and assuming the reviews are not written by the band themselves under fake names (or by the band's parents or friends), it means that some people are catching on to what this band does.

The new album is a further consolidation of the catchy tunes that they are becoming known for. Time after time when I have listened, I notice that the songs work well, they flow, are ear friendly in the way classic-style heavy metal can be. They have hit-type songs with lots of melody; very easy to remember. Some of the numbers sound thrashier, some more melodic, others like stadium rock anthems, and a few surprises here and there, while the band puts the singing and the guitar playing at the center. As with most traditional metal with singing, it is necessary that you listen for yourself and hear if you like the voice. There are lots of high notes on the album, so high vocal sections are a real part of the songwriting in this case. Overall, the band has done a solid job and you can tell that they want to have songs that people can relate to and sing with the band. Heck, that's not a crime nowadays, is it? They are serious about the band and they want to win you over, so there's nothing wrong with that at all.

HOLY GRAIL - "Sudden Death" (Official Music Video)