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Barbarians In Black

    
       
       
       
     
             
Armored Dawn are a heavy metal band from Brazil formed in 2011, releasing their debut album, 'Power Of Warrior' in 2016. The bands second album 'Barbarians In Black' was released in 2018.    
             
Brazil has recently become a hot spot for power metal band emergence, Armored Dawn the latest in a long line. Their second album 'Barbarians In Black' is packed to the rafters with powerful, and heavy power metal. 'Beware Of The Dragon' is a bombastic and blistering opening salvo, guaranteed to blow away the cobwebs from your neck muscles, moving your head back and forth vigorously. 'Beware Of The Dragon' is infectious and a sparkling opening to the album. The sparkle gets even brighter as 'Bloodstone' storms in and sets a blazing trail as it rockets off. Heavier than the opening song, 'Bloodstone' is power metal of the heaviest form. Heads will be just a blur as furious head banging becomes the order of the day, as every power metal fan around the world punches the air in delight in honour of such a great song. Melodic power metal takes front and centre as the bands interest in Nordic mythology gives us 'Men Of Odin'. Anthemic in its delivery, 'Men Of Odin' is a mid tempo, very heavy foot stomp.    
             
Blistering pace returns to the album in emphatic fashion with the high velocity 'Chance To Live Again'. Delivered at a phenomenal pace, 'Chance To Live Again' is a head bangers dream, with heads moving back and forth at furious speed. 'Barbarians In Black' (the album) is turning in a cracking performance, with every song infectious, memorable and catchy. The melodic side of Armored Dawn shows itself again as 'Unbreakable' effortlessly glides in and swaggers on its way. A pulsating rhythm pushes 'Unbreakable' along at a mid tempo pace, with energy and intensity levels right off the scale. Heavy power metal makes a welcome return to the album in the formidable shape and size of 'Eyes Behind The Crow'. Hard hitting and sharp edged, 'Eyes Behind The Crow' is one of the best songs on the album and is a guaranteed head banger.    
             
The ballad-esque 'Sail Away' is a superb slice of melodic hard rock, taking a slight departure from the bands signature sound. Get those lighters out and raise them high as 'Sail Away' strides on tall and proud, with an air of superiority. 'Sail Away' is as near perfect a power ballad as you will ever hear. And talking of near perfect, 'Gods Of Metal' is a brilliant anthemic call to arms romp, echoing traits of the mighty legends Manowar. A chant style chorus adds to the magnificence of 'Gods Of Metal', and I just cannot find fault with this song at all. Now for the biggest surprise on the album, a real off tangent moment, landing in the realms of the party rock/metal genre. 'Survivor' is a feel good, smile inducing, fucking awesome song that has the most infectious and catchy groove of anything else on the album. 'Survivor' is a guaranteed hit, fans head banging, fists punching the air and smiles a mile wide everywhere. Amazingly, and sadly, the tenth and final song is here, where in the hell did the last forty minutes go? Such a great album, hooked from start to finish, the final hurrah is the title song, 'Barbarians In Black'. A thundering rampage of heavy riffs and catchy rhythms, a sing a long style chorus and Armored Dawn end their second full length offering with a superb song.    
             
Overall, pulsating power metal, infectious and catchy, with a head banging addictiveness, Armored Dawn offer up a power metal master class.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for BJF Media    
             
Review is also featured at Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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