Axenstar – Chapter VIII
Axenstar – Chapter VIII
Inner Wound Recordings
Release Date: 01/12/23
Running Time: 43:55
Review by Simon Black
7/10
For a quarter of a century, Axenstar have been delivering straight up anthemic and Melodic Power Metal of the traditional Euro template defined by the likes of Helloween, and long may it continue. Let’s not underestimate that for a band to both start out on this lonely path having started at a time in the late 90’s when the mainstream labels and market in general only took you seriously if you wore baggy clothes, lumberjack shirts and had an aversion to personal hygiene, and still be going in a time where the market is now hugely crowded with competitors with similar influences can’t be sniffed at.
Axenstar are another band that don’t have much footprint in the UK, which is a considerable source of frustration for fans like me, as unless they are prepared to take the plunge and undertake gruelling and cash-poor support slots on the tailcoats of more established acts to let people know you exist, then this is unlikely to change. Which is a darn shame, because the quality of what they are delivering here is bang on the money. The songs are well-crafted, catchy and the performances of all concerned watertight as you would expect from a band with eight studio albums under their belt.
However, it is a crowded market nowadays. This the downside of the workmanlike approach to delivery is that it doesn’t take any risks, and consequently doesn’t move the genre on into new territory. Additionally, although I can’t find one single song on here to find fault with, neither is there anything outstanding or exceptional to shout about either. That said, if you are new to either the band or the genre then this is a fine pace to start, and it will tick all the boxes, even if (like me) you listen to a lot of this genre’s output, then it’s not breaking new ground.
‘The Unholy’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Heavenly Symphony
02. Through the Fire and Brimstone
03. The Great Deceiver
04. Enchanted Lands
05. The Flame of Victory
06. No Surrender
07. Holy Land
08. Eye for an Eye
09. The War Within
10. Life Eternal
LINE-UP:
Magnus Winterwild – Vocals, Bass
Jens Klovegård – Guitars
Joakim Jonsson – Guitars
Pelle Åkerlind – Drums
LINKS:
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