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Wuthering Heights: Salt

When I first sighted the title of this new Wuthering Height CD I thought Salt was an odd choice, but once it becomes apparent that there is a nautical theme running through this metal album, it makes perfect sense. Salt is the fifth album from Wuthering Heights, and some time has passed by since their previous CD The Shadow Cabinet. This was time well spent as the quality songs on Salt were worth the wait.

As I mentioned above Salt tells of tales of the sea, with the remains of a washed up ship gracing its cover. Just as the unpredictable sea can transform into a most powerful of storms, so does this latest Wuthering Heights CD once their hearty musical sails are hoisted.

Nils Patrik Johansson(Astral Doors, Lions Share) distinct vocals kick off "Away", as they embark on their voyage with the words "Roll,roll,roll Do you hear the waves?, The waves are calling us, To Refuge or to ruin" introducing this albums subject matter. The swift inspiring power metal of Wuthering Heights soon surfaces of which Salt has its share, plus the welcome folk influences come into play making for a wonderful combination. The only non metal song is the short "Water Of Life" and Nils does a fine pirate impersonation on this one. The lively "The Mad Sailor" is one of Salt's best, and "The Field" is another enthralling tune, this one featuring a great mix of heavy music with the input of folk instruments and a scintillating guitar solo.

Wuthering Heights close Salt with "Lost At Sea"; this well structured epic runs over sixteen minutes and takes many turns, and as the title implies this song tells of the perils sailors face when they lose their way. The stirring guitar work on this song and others deserves mention, as do the commanding vocals of Nils. "Lost At Sea" is a fine song to conclude Salt, and Wuthering Heights' now have a further impressive CD to their name.


Track Listing
1. Away!
2. The Desperate Poet
3. The Mad Sailor
4. The Last Tribe (Mother Earth)
5. Tears
6. Weather The Storm
7. The Field
8. Water Of Life
9. Lost At Sea

Added: June 6th 2010
Reviewer: Scott Jessup
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 3899
Language: english

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» SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews:

Wuthering Heights: Salt
Posted by Pete Pardo, SoT Staff Writer on 2010-06-06 10:40:54
My Score:

The fifth album from this Danish collective sees the band delivering more of the folk flavored speedy power metal that we've come to expect from them over the years. Wuthering Heights were never the most original band on the planet, but what they do they do quite well, and this style is once again on display here with Salt.

Band leader and founder Erik Ravn has once again created a batch of songs that deliver dramatic, epic sounding power metal with folk and prog overtones. Nils Patrik Johansson, the guy with the big 'Coverdale meets Dio-esque' vocal pipes, once again is the center of attention, upping the ante with his leather lungs on the Helloween-ish "The Desperate Poet" alongside Ravn's manic riffs and lightning lead lines. The presence of more folk elements on tracks like "The Mad Sailor", "The Last Tribe (Mother Earth)", "Weather The Storm", "Water of Life", and the closing epic "Lost at Sea" give the album some varied flavors, which is key as without this we might have been relegated to perhaps a bit too much Gamma Ray styled speedsters. "Lost at Sea", at just under 17-minutes in length, is a must hear and takes many twists and turns, from power metal, to prog, folk, and doom, giving the listener plenty to enjoy.

Salt is another in a fine line of solid releases from Wuthering Heights. It's nice to know that every 3-4 years Ravn & company will re-appear on the scene and deliver some quality metal music that show just how much they care about their craft.



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