When you’re the first new guitarist to join a legendary Metal band since it last happened in 1974, it’s going to be tricky to stamp your own identity on that band. This was what the considerably talented guitarist Richie Faulkner had to consider when he joined Judas Priest back in 2011. He’s still in the band now of course twelve years later, but now finds himself with the time to put together a new band in his own vision. Drums are handled on the album by fellow Priest man Scott Travis (although touring duties and any further commitments will be handled by Dave Rimmer of Uriah Heep) which was a no-brainer, and ex-Pantera bassist Rex Brown was quickly enlisted for the studio (although Accept bassist Christopher Williams is the ongoing bassist). Then when you add Rainbow/Lords Of Black/Sunstorm (etc…etc…etc…) vocalist into the mix, we’re suddenly hailing Elegant Weapons as a bit of a Melodic Metal supergroup!
And really, on the whole the album is pretty close to what many people would probably expect when you look at the people involved and also maybe remember Faulkner from his time in Voodoo Six. “Horns For A Halo” is a non-stop guitar and vocal treat, pushed forward by a time-honoured powerhouse rhythm section. Happily, it’s not a Judas Priest clone, which really wouldn’t show off Faulkner’s song-writing and performance abilities in a different light as this album does. Thanks to Romero’s top class vocals there could be comparisons to a couple of his other bands – Lords Of Black or maybe The Ferrymen, but further infused with powerful Classic Hard Rock/Melodic Metal, displaying chunky, meaty guitar lines and sparkling lead-work at every turn, all wrapped up in a superb Andy Sneap production. The inclusion of a bang-up-to-date cover of UFO’s ‘Lights Out’ goes further to show the direction the band are coming from, but they also show they can speed things if needed up with the drum-driven ‘Do or Die’, a side of the band I’d personally like to hear more of.
There’s an underlying groove and swagger to many of the songs, along with a maturity that Faulkner is bound to have picked up since his time in Deed and Voodoo Six. The riffs and guitar-work are enticing and exciting throughout, as Faulkner excels in the unshackled freedom of his own band. Romero puts in the smooth performance you would expect (as is always the case with whichever band he’s fronting), he makes his classic vocal style fit like a glove – a faultless display, swarming with memorable hooks and catchy choruses. Ironically, all this goes some way to being the only real thing I feel to find fault with the album – it kind of sounds like a lot of Hard Rock/Metal ‘supergroups’ that have a wealth of experience and a willingness to please as many fans as possible, whilst not pushing the boundaries too far. This musical exploration may come in future of course, as this is a more-than-solid debut album and a great start to what is hopefully a long-term project for the members involved.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
Leave a Reply