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The Storyteller

      
         
         
         
     
             
Oversense are a melodic power metal band from Germany formed in 2012, releasing their 'Dreamcatcher' E.P. in 2014. The bands first full length effort, 'The Storyteller' was released in 2017.    
             
Germany never ceases to produce power metal bands, over the years producing some of the worlds greatest, and in the shape of Oversense, a new band blending traditional power metal flair with the epic and glory style of metal, the German legacy is still going strong. An atmospheric and scene setting intro 'Forgotten Tales' meanders its way gently through the airways leading into the guitar crashing riffing that greets the listener as 'Wild Hunt' launches the album, slowing down and introducing keyboards as soulful vocals float over. Then, without warning, guitars chug, drums thunder and 'Wild Hunt' is off and running with pace and power, heads banging everywhere. Opening the album with an epic seven minute plus song is a bold move and one that actually works very well. The intriguingly titled 'Mr. Mackie's Chase For Love', picks up the pace and sets a blazing trail as it rages on, devastating the airways with a brutal and savage swagger. A clean and clear vocal delivery, a catchy chorus and an addictive rhythm echo everything there is great with the power metal genre. When I saw the track list, for one brief moment I thought that 'Purgatory' was gonna be an Iron Maiden cover (from the iconic British heavy metal bands second album 'Killers'). Sadly though, it isn't...but what you do get, is a blistering rampage of killer riffs and thunderous drumming. Pace and power ferociously push 'Purgatory' along, planting both feet squarely in the speed metal genre. The opening triple salvo is a breath taking opening, with Oversense delivering a power house of pulsating and passionate songs.    
             
Eleven songs on offer across more than an hour of disc time and 'The Storyteller' is worth every penny. All pace and power disappears, to be replaced by acoustic guitars as 'Sally' drifts in, pushing you to reach for your lighters, but before you can get them out and hold them high, boom! power romps in and 'Sally' strides on to become a very hard rocking and punchy heavy rock song. Add a catchy sing a long style chorus and 'Sally' is a corker of a song. How prophetic is 'We're Gonna Bring You Thunder'? Anthemic, bold and brash, foot stomping menacingly on and on, 'We're Gonna Bring You Thunder' is a mid tempo, very heavy song, with a chorus that is one hundred percent sing a long-able. And for the second time I thought Oversense had covered a song, this time 'Phobia', from the 1997 Kreator album 'Outcast'...but once again, I was proven wrong. 'Phobia' is a swaggering Southern rock influenced song which does lean more towards metal than rock, but listen closely to the guitars and you'll hear what I mean.    
             
'Last Goodbye' might sound like it should be a ballad, but hell no, it is the fastest song on the album and sets a blistering pace as it races on. Echoing legendary German bands such as Helloween, Rage and Running Wild, 'Last Goodbye' is a superb gallop of thundering rhythms and yet another catchy sing a long style chorus. Heads will most definitely be banging to this one, mine sure is... Acoustics return in force with 'The Heart Begins To Shiver' and you finally realise just how versatile a singer Danny Meyer is. He is a power house of a vocalist, singing everything from metal to ballad to symphonic and the occasional Southern rock style twang. What a hauntingly chilling and atmospheric build up to the most symphonic sounding and epic song on the album, 'When The Undead Rise'. It's meaner, moodier and darker than anything that has gone before. Reminiscent of bands such as Powerwolf, HammerFall and Edguy, 'When The Undead Rise' is a majestic and magnificent slab of atmospheric symphonic metal. With the hour mark nearly up, the album is heading for its conclusion, but time for one last hurrah. Up tempo and highly energetic, 'Through The Panther's Eyes' chugs and chops its way on, full to the brim with catchy riffs, memorable hooks and a sing a long style chorus. A cracking debut album from a band that is breathing continued life into the long legacy of power metal bands from Germany.    
             
Overall, bombastic and packed with power, 'The Storyteller' is an exhilarating journey of symphonic power metal and hard rock.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Egomania      
           
"a cracking gallop through the genres of metal and rock, highly infectious and overly addictive" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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