RISEN PROPHECY - Into The Valley Of Hinnom (CD)

RISEN PROPHECY from the UK straddle a fine line between thrash and power metal (of the US variety). These young guys have impressive technical chops but most of all, they have the most brilliant sense of song crafting, which has resulted in a really mature offering with highly developed, epic compositions clocking in at over 6 minutes each. The guitar solos are simply delightful here, riffs are crunching, and the rhythm section is super tight. And last but definitely not least: the vocals! The singer has some hellish mighty pipes, but it's also the theatrical way he uses them that makes him so charismatic: he delivers both clean and more brutal, snarl-like vocals, which sound really vitriolic, and adds some ear-splitting screams for a good measure. Overall, ICED EARTH seems to be their biggest influence, but you can also notice some similarities to TESTAMENT, SABBAT, DEFIANCE, FORBIDDEN, ARTILLERY, DEMONS AND WIZARDS and JUDAS PRIEST, and from the less known bands, to UNEARTHED (FL), SINDROME, HELLHOUND and MAELSTROM (NY).