released today: GABRIELS

Gabriels

Fist of the Seven Stars Act 2 (Hokuto Brothers)

Rockshots Records

31 August 2018

Fist of the North Star (Japanese: 北斗の拳) is a cartoon series set in a world after a nuclear war in which violence is the way of life. Gabriels in 2016 released an epic power metal album based on said cartoon series, and this is the 2018 follow-up. As soon as this metal opera starts, it is super catchy and very melodic. The guitars can be neoclassical in places, shredding in others, and sweet at all times. The keyboards are rather prominent in this music and they give vibes of majesty and progressive sounds. The music in general is midtempo; the songs can appear as if the entire track is one big chorus. For this reason, the drumming is a good keeper of time, and the recording has a nice bottom end that lets one know that the bass guitar is there, even though it is not very loud as a single instrument.

The most indispensable highlight of the album is the songs, of course. However, there are many other positives about the album. The keyboards are very nice. The melodic guitars are awesome. Finally, the singing is wonderful and fits the music perfectly. The singing is the most enjoyable element of the album, which is good because you have to have good singing in order to do a power metal opera. Mission accomplished, and then some.

facebook.com/GabrielsOfficial/

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[by MMB]