Black Hawk: Soulkeeper

The German heavy metal band Black Hawk formed in 1981, in the midst of the NWOBHM era and I have to say fit right into that mold of band. According to the press material, Saxon, Accept, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest are of similar ilk, and I can certainly hear why that might be the case. They did not release their debut First Attack until 1989 and during the next few years there was not much output from the band. That said, the band has been busier this past decade releasing quite a few albums including Destination Hell(2020) and their brand new album Soulkeeper this past March.

Like much of the music being released these days, Black Hawk are not reinventing the wheel with Soulkeeper, but the band have created a fun, old school metal album, with the ‘80s written all over it. And that’s okay, as long as the songs are there, and in that regard, this is a solid release.

This is a heavy album beginning with the title track, a fast paced scorcher with lightning riffs and a fairly catchy chorus. The vocals in this are just okay for me, not horrible by any means but they do not match the robust instrumentation. Maybe it’s the production, perhaps a little thin. On a positive note, the vocals improve immensely on the next few tracks like the blistering “Angry Machines� and its squelching lead guitar, the hard hitting “War Zone� and its growling riffs, and the catchy “Better Times� with its head sticking guitar solos. The band strikes a nice balance between the vocals and the heavy riffs, making the music all the more cohesive.

So, a good album overall and one I will come back to when I want something a little heavier than my usual fare.

Released on Fastball-Music.

Track Listing:
1. Soulkeeper (4:21)
2. Angry Machines (4:38)
3. War Zone (5:03)
4. Better Times (5:43)
5. Survivor (4:44)
6. Bells Of Death (5:58)
7. Bullet (3:06)
8. Mystic (5:29)
9. We Stay Strong (5:33)
10. Rock ‘N’ Roll Is In My Head (4:11)

Added: July 23rd 2023
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 901
Language: english

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