COLLISION COURSE - PARADOX II

Well, to judge only by the first listening this album it would be something certainly unfair, why do I say that?. "Collision Course... "Paradox II" (I'll try to ignore this little detail on the title of this record through this review) basically tried to be the sequel of great "Paradox" from 1997 and if we see this matter by a critical way, I think they did not fail at all.

The whole album drives its musical sequence between hard/melodic metal tracks with a strong focus on good arrangements and solid melodies that invites to keep hearing the record to the end (maybe not in the first listening, but it does in the following ones). A very good vibe around the songs helps to make more enjoyable each one and see its structural coherence and its cohesion musical inside it.

I think the only factor that could play against "Collision Course" was the using of a meaningful part of the title; "Paradox", in fact, is one of the few second parts (sequel albums in rock history) that made an honourable breakthrough as a continuation.

Concerning of the highlights of the record, I would say that Mark Boals (the lead vocals this time) voice is simply great along the album, a performance that I would say it's more than satisfactory. Also you can find great songs like: "the first rock" that is pure melodic metal with an interesting dose of hard rock, "exit wound" an exercise of melodic balance and a great chorus on it.

Other good examples in the album are "divide and reign" that brings some Power Metal influences back, "blood in blood out" shows the most progressive side on the album including some arabic sounds to complete the idea on the way. And finally, "tears of the sun" probably take us to the most classic side of the band, with that characteristic use of this kind of influences, in a very "Royal Hunt" way, besides, using a female vocal phrase at the beginning and at the end of the song.

This album is now maybe in the most underrated side of Royal Hunt's discography but I'm sure that with the pass of time will gain not only inside of fans from the band but also with the followers of the melodic metal with focus in melodic structure and classy.

By: Epsilon.