FRENZY FIRE

    

METAL & ROCK REVIEWS

    
             
HOME            
REVIEWS            
ARTISTS            
UPCOMING            
LINKS            
             

 

      
   
   
       
       

Reject The System

    
       
       
       
     
             
Palace are a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 1990, releasing their debut album 'Toy Of Rage' in 1996. Seven more albums followed, including 2004's live offering, 'Live In Herxheim'. In 2020, the band will be celebrating thirty years since formation, and have released album number nine 'Reject The System'.    
             
Wandering away from their country's rich heritage of power metal, Palace have forged their career on the glorious sound of eighties heavy metal, with bands such as (fellow countrymen) Accept and Grave Digger as clear influences. The new album is kicked into life with the roaring 'Force Of Steel'. A furious gallop of traditional sounding heavy metal, 'Force Of Steel' is a head turner, a sit up and take notice, a look at me opener, that thrills and excites, and makes you wanna listen to the rest of album to hear what other gems Palace have loaded on to their ninth long player. The album powers on with the heavy hitting 'Soulseeker', displaying a heavy NWOBHM feel. A "foot on the monitor" romp, 'Soulseeker' is a head bangers dream, with heads moving back and forth at a very energetic speed. Entering a more mid tempo realm, 'Final Call Of Destruction' blasts off with a high rate of liveliness. A thundering mid paced rampage 'Final Call Of Destruction' is a heavy thump that will club you around the head, knocking you right off your feet.    
             
Pace quickens once more with 'The Faker' hurtling out of the blocks and rampaging on like a herd of wildebeest. With an added chant style chorus 'The Faker' is surely gonna become a crowd favourite sing a long. The energy levels Palace have shown over the albums first third is phenomenal - and I hope they have a wealthy supply, it'd be a shame to run out after such a blistering opening. 'Hail To The Metal Lord' is the kinda song you'd expect to see on a (kings of metal) Manowar album - but no, here it is on a Palace album. And just like the kings of metal (Manowar), 'Hail To The Metal Lord' is a mighty anthemic march of epic proportions. A new metal anthem for the modern day, Palace do a great job in creating a rabble rousing call to arms atmosphere that will be saluted by fans all around the world. Raise those fucking fists high... Stepping up to the thrash metal boundary, 'Bloodstained World' is highly aggressive and fairly savage as it pulsates with a harsh rhythm not heard on the album so far. The appeal of 'Bloodstained World' is wide, taking in the genres of thrash, power, and traditional heavy metal.    
             
Adopting the mid tempo, mid paced melodic stomp heard earlier, 'Valhalla Land' is a punchy crunch of a romp that will batter and bruise as it cruises past. Highly infectious and one hundred percent catchy, 'Valhalla Land' is gonna become anther crowd favourite sing a long - surely! Out and out pace returns with a vengeance, as 'Legion Of Resistance' gallops furiously on. Heavily influenced by the legendary sound of the iconic NWOBHM evolution, 'Legion Of Resistance' is the most infectious song on offer...so far. 'Wings Of Storm' roars perilously close to the thrash metal border again, going as far to actually stand on the border. Mixing elements synonymous with both the thrash and traditional styles of heavy metal, 'Wings Of Storm' is gonna invoke frenetic head banging wherever it is heard. Bringing the album to a thundering end, is the mid paced and very heavy 'No One Break My Will'. A mid tempo melodic monster, 'No One Break My Will' is a classic sounding slice of traditional heavy metal, and ends the album as it began. A very good offering of full on full tilt heavy metal.    
             
Overall, a heavy hitting and fairly savage barrage of "foot on the monitor" heavy metal to thrill and excite fans all around the world.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Top