Emerald (Switzerland)
Heavy Metal
Tracklist:
- Freakshow
- Valley of Death
- Digital Slavery
- Son of Sam
- My Final Stand
- The Wicked Force
- Cod Goddeu
- Restless Soul
- Set Me Free
- Superhero
- Heaven Falls Down
- Revenge (Bonus Track)
Members:
- Mace Mitchell- Vocals
- Michael Vaucher - Guitars
- Julien Menth - Guitars
- Vania Truttmann - Bass
- Thomas Vaucher - Keyboards
- Al Spicher - Drums
This is the 8th album from Emerald. This album is a new listen for me, and my first exposure to Emerald. Evidently, there are more bands out there named Emerald, so I had to do my research on the band carefully.......
This album was a good listen. Nothing new. They definitely didn't reinvent the wheel. However, the songs are tight. They lean toward power metal, but just don't quite make it to the "Power" level. I can't hold that against them because I did enjoy the album. Sometimes it is just nice to listen to something that sounds very reminiscent of sounds of the past. I would say they hint at some speed and power but maintain a mid-pace throughout the whole album until the end, the last three songs are the heaviest. There is just enough variety, though, which kept me interested in listening to the whole album.
The vocalist is good. He has some pipes that can hit high notes as well as low notes. The use of a talk box on "Superhero", caught me off guard, and was an out of place treat. Interesting fact....the bassist is female. Kudos for that!!!!
When I listen to an album, I always try to pick out a ballad (if there is one). This album has a ballad which put me in mind of something Bon Jovi or Whitesnake would do. I like it!!
Overall, the album is good. Nothing ground breaking or earth shattering, just good old heavy metal. I wasn't expecting Emerald to be anything spectacular, since they ARE a heavy metal band, so I wasn't disappointed. IMO, the stand out track for me is "My Final Stand" which has a nice song build and a good story in the lyrics.
My first impression rating 3.5/5.
Full album if you are interested
