Picture - Warhorse
Picture maybe remembered for the classic album ‘Diamond Dreamers’ and to my mind ‘Eternal Dark’, after a few years missing from the music scene, Picture (from The Netherlands) are back. The opener ‘Battle Plan’ is some of your classic traditional metal, running solos, thundering drumming and a relatively competent vocal range courtesy of Pete Lovell, whom I think has a tone and warmth akin to some of David Coverdale’s work in the past. Living up to your commendable heritage is always a hard task for any band, and I would best describe Picture musically in 2012 as sounding a little like what Saxon do now. The sound is more mature, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Chugging guitars on ‘Shadow of the Damned’ will suffice any metal fans desires, but there is a underlying thought I cannot get out of my mind, I am wanting more, the production is a little understated and it is not helped when Picture take you to tried and tested metal ballad territory, with the likes of ‘Think I lost My Way’.
The artwork of ‘Warhorse’ really suits a proper metal album, in my youth, I used to buy albums based upon their album covers, if it had a certain imagery, then it’s got to be a metal album (this is long before the days of the internet). Whilst I would do the same for this album, I wouldn’t necessarily herald it as a classic piece of heavy metal. On the plus side, melodies and hooks feature prominently (especially during ‘Edge of Hell’), the arrangements are cool, but as I have previously mentioned, there is something missing, a little bit of rawness is missing for me. But then again, it is 2012, and I would not expect an album to sound like it did in the mid-1980’s, but in this case, it would bring more vibrancy to the recording.
Picture and ‘Warhorse’ is a welcomed return for a talented and often revered band that deserved a little more recognition, however, whilst it’s truly metal collectively, it’s not got that edge I myself am looking for. But no matter what I think, I also have to say that this will be a pleasing effort to all traditional metal fans, and it does deserve a half point more!
The artwork of ‘Warhorse’ really suits a proper metal album, in my youth, I used to buy albums based upon their album covers, if it had a certain imagery, then it’s got to be a metal album (this is long before the days of the internet). Whilst I would do the same for this album, I wouldn’t necessarily herald it as a classic piece of heavy metal. On the plus side, melodies and hooks feature prominently (especially during ‘Edge of Hell’), the arrangements are cool, but as I have previously mentioned, there is something missing, a little bit of rawness is missing for me. But then again, it is 2012, and I would not expect an album to sound like it did in the mid-1980’s, but in this case, it would bring more vibrancy to the recording.
Picture and ‘Warhorse’ is a welcomed return for a talented and often revered band that deserved a little more recognition, however, whilst it’s truly metal collectively, it’s not got that edge I myself am looking for. But no matter what I think, I also have to say that this will be a pleasing effort to all traditional metal fans, and it does deserve a half point more!
- Battle Plan
- Shadow Of The Damned
- Rejected
- Edge Of Hell
- The King Is Losing His Crown
- Think I Lost My Way
- Killer In My Sights
- My Kinda Woman
- The Price I Pay
- War Horse
- We’re Not Alone
- Stand My Ground
- Eternal Dark MMXI
Label: http://www.artiststation.de
Reviewer: twansibon
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
Next review:
The Nosebleed Connection - Nosebleeders
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