Wolfking - Stalingrad: The Regime of EvilSabaton – Rise of Evil (0:00)
Slayer – Angel of Death (7:25)
Angel Dust – Come Into Resistance (12:14)
Angel Dust – First in Line (17:34)
Angel Dust – Cross of Hatred (18:51)
Accept – Stalingrad (23:48)
Black Majesty – Fall of the Reich (29:49)
Nightingale – Stalingrad (34:59)
First Impression - There were some moments where I was just like
and then there were some moments where I was like
So, some pretty bold picks for this EP. Starting it off with Sabaton, the world's most boring metal band
I jest....sort of....This song actually works fairly well as an intro song. I still don't want to listen to an entire Sabaton album, but one is fine enough. I'm just not the target audience for Sabaton, which is fine. The chorus actually had a way of worming its way into my brain, so there's that. Next is the world's most overrated Thrash Metal band, Slayeeeeeerrrrrr!!!!!!! And really Slayer is just a poor man's Vektor, in my opinion. And it's a good thing Dave Lombardo had Gene Hoglan around to teach him how to play drums
Granted Slayer was doing this 30 years before Vektor, but Vektor basically took that intensity and made it better and more progressive and more technical. Again, this works in context, and again, I wouldn't want to listen to a whole album of Slayer.....Let's move on to some of the more awesome songs here. The three Angel Dust songs are all quite enjoyable. I've never heard this band before and am now looking forward to diving into them more. Come Into Resistance has some nice riffs and melodies. The only not so great part of this song might be the keyboards. They are teetering on the edge of being just a bit too cheesy for me. First In Line works as a nice segue and then we blast into Cross of Hatred for some headbanging
I feel like Angel Dust is a much more interesting version of Sabaton
At any rate, there are some tasty guitar solos in both of these Angel Dust songs
Next we come to the first of two Stalingrad tracks, this one by Accept.....or as I like to call them, slightly heavier AC/DC (aka rocks most boring band
(I need to stop using this emoji
(nevermind.....))) Actually this song isn't all that bad (chugga-da-chugga-da-chugga-chugga-chugga-da-chugga-chugga.....Brian Johnson sound-a-like yelling....rinse...repeat
) There are actually some cool melodic solos here and the chugging doesn't really bother me, I'm just being an ass. Now, Fall of the Reich is a cool song, from another band I haven't listened to before, although it took me a few listens to really get into this song. Cool riffing, decent singing (actually the singer looks like the lovechild of Kiko Loureiro and Dallas Toler-Wade). Then we end with the 2nd Stalingrad song. I like the little change in style here with Nightingale to end the EP. Makes it feel more cinematic/story-like. I like pretty much anything Dan Swano, so this was a pretty safe pick. Overall, fairly consistent song quality with only a couple dips, but not quite as strong as your last EP.
Song Score - 7.8/10
I like the story of a German man falling in with Hitler during his rise to power, but then realizing the atrocities that were being committed he joins a rebellion to bring down Hitler's regime. I like the way you used the songs you chose. They all work really well lyrically and musically. I especially like the way you used Angel of Death to tell of the atrocities being done under Hitler's power. However you probably could have subbed in KYPCK's Stalingrad, Sabaton's Stalingrad, and Caducity's Destination: Stalingrad and just made the EP about Stalingrad....
Overall I think this was an improvement in storytelling from your last EP.
Story Score - 8/10 +1 for bonus theme
As far as flow goes, I think the one thing that is bothering me most, and I know this is going to sound slightly hypocritical, is I think Rise of Evil should have faded all the way out before starting in on Angel of Death. Rise of Evil feels more like an introduction to the story and Angel of Death feels like the beginning of Act 1. Just a small thing, but eh. Then Stalingrad to Fall of the Reich might be a little too abrupt, but that almost sounds nitpicky at this point. Mostly good flow overall.
Flow Score - 8/10
Overall Score - 24.8/30