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Black Eyed Children

      
         
         
         
     
             
Astral Doors are a hard rock band from Sweden forming in 2002 who released their debut album the following year. Six more albums were released over the next ten years, along with the bands 2010 compilation album 'Testament Of Rock'. The bands eighth studio album 'Black Eyed Children' is to be released in 2017.    
             
Delivering a sharp edged, hard rocking melodic style, Astral Doors return with their eighth studio album, heavily influenced by the classic sound of traditional heavy rock. Among the many detectable influences are bands such as Dio, Deep Purple and Rainbow, along with the American style of power metal by such bands as Twisted Sister, W.A.S.P. and Manowar. 'We Cry Out' is a hard hitting slab of the hardest rock ever heard and is reminiscent of eighties style Dio. Clean and clear vocals, superb duel guitar attack accompanied by sizzling keyboards and Astral Doors are off and rocking. 'Walls' is a majestic and atmospheric melodic stomp of hard rock with an addictive and anthemic vibe. Get your heads nodding and feet stomping, 'Walls' is deserving of it. And so is 'God Is The Devil', an up tempo and energetic song that will have you smiling from ear to ear such is its infectiousness. And the sing a long ability of the chorus is superb too. Keeping the up tempo feel, 'Die On Stage' rocks very hard and is so catchy you will be singing along in no time.    
             
Astral Doors, with eight albums over fifteen years, join a long list of successful rock bands to have emerged from Sweden, bands such as Europe, Treat, Shotgun Messiah, HammerFall, Cryonic Temple and Eclipse. Suddenly all bombast is lost and replaced with a twanging intro as 'Tomorrow's Dead' takes on a more mellow feel...but not for long though as the guitars come crashing through and the huge riffing that follows is so heavy that you will be brutally pummelled into the ground. Melodic hard rock just got heavy. With an influx of energy and an injection of pace 'Good Vs Bad' rattles along at pace, bordering on the heavy metal genre. Also combining elements of speed metal, 'Good Vs Bad' gives the listener plenty of opportunity to head bang furiously. An acoustically fuelled intro breathes life into the thumping 'Suburban Song'. Hard rocking and melodic with a pumping rhythm, 'Suburban Song' delivers the signature sound of Astral Doors.    
             
The catchiness of the album is sky high and the will to replay the album time and time again is inevitable, but with three songs still left to go, do not reach for the replay button...yet! Huge riffing 'Lost Boy' echoes the feel of the traditional sound of the European power metal genre. Addictive rhythms, clean and clear vocals and a sing a long style chorus, this is cracking stuff. Upping the energy and intensity 'Slaves To Ourselves' is a raucous rumble. The vocal delivery takes on a more menacing tone and the heaviness of 'Slaves To Ourselves' once again borders on the heavy metal genre. Closing the album is the eight minute plus epic 'Black Eyed Children'. The title song is atmospheric, anthemic and bold. Legendary UK icons Iron Maiden made the epic longer songs a staple of their music and 'Black Eyed Children' can stand alongside anything they have done. Thumping rhythms, sparkling guitars and keyboards and a sing a long style chorus all come together to make 'Black Eyed Children' a great end to a very good album.    
             
Overall, sharp edged hard rock full of energy with injections of the melodic, this is a storming album of addictive and catchy heavy rock.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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