New York's Gothic Knights have certainly given classic metal fans plenty to sink their teeth into here on their latest release Reflections From the Other Side. Though it's been 9 years since their previous album Up From the Ashes, the band have only gotten heavier and further fine tuned their skills at delivering classic '80s styled power metal. The band here in 2012 is comprised of guitarists John Tzantis & David Saligman, vocalist Rick Sanchez, bassist Mario Cosentino, keyboard player Jared Sloan, and drummer Kevin DeDario.
Crave crunchy riffs, pounding drums, and high pitched metal vocals? Well, there's plenty of that here on Reflections From the Other Side. You can hear lots of influences throughout this album, such as Iced Earth, Judas Priest, Sanctuary, Nevermore, Iron Maiden, and King Diamond, on such stellar tracks as "Welcome to My Horror", "Scythe Denied", and the stomping "Shadows of Time". Both Tzantis and Saligman deliver some impressive riffery throughout, and Sloan's keyboard embellishments are understated yet effective. You can really hear the Iced Earth/Iron Maiden influence on the excellent "Devil's Playground", as Cosentino's lead bass lines provide an intro to some galloping arrangements that have Sanchez soaring over the top. For a real crusher, it doesn't get much better than "Zero Hour", which contains some killer riffs and memorable melodies, and the closing epic "The Omen" is a feast for fans of classic heavy metal.
They might not be offering anything new to the genre here, but Gothic Knights have delivered an impressive collection of metal songs that remind of some of the glory days, and that goes a long way to keeping the spirit of metal alive.
Track Listing
1. Death From Above (5:49)
2. Lord Of The Underworld (4:55)
3. Welcome To My Horror (5:39)
4. Scythe Denied (6:49)
5. 1689, Trial Of The Witch (6:26)
6. Shadows Of Time (6:56)
7. Devil's Playground (5:44)
8. Zero Hour (6:37)
9. Writing On The Wall (6:11)
10. Ave Satani (3:20)
11. The Omen (8:01)
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