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Empress Of The Cold Stars

      
         
         
         
     
             
Perpetual Rage are a heavy metal band from Finland formed in 2009, releasing their debut album in 2015. 'Empress Of The Cold Stars' is the bands second album and was released in 2017.    
             
Chugging into life with an almighty buzzing guitar riff, the new album gets underway in bustling fashion with 'Dragonlancer'. Stomping very hard, 'Dragonlancer' will invoke head banging and feet stomping among their legion of fans, and will also attract new ones too. Catchy and memorable, it's a cracking opening salvo. The album rattles on with 'The Empress', setting a more melodic vibe than the opening song, yet still remains very catchy. Perpetual Rage have set a tone of addictive and memorable songs that all have sing a long-ability. Moving towards heavy rock, 'Boundless' is a foot stomper, a head nodder, a much lighter feel than previously heard, and will appeal to fans of the rock genre. The vocal delivery is clean, clear and very powerful, with every song full of catchy riffs and memorable rhythms.    
             
'The Creation' brings the album firmly back to the heavy metal genre and is a rampage of relentless riffs and thunderous drums. Menacing in its delivery, 'The Creation' is a swash buckler of a song and reminds me of 'Accident Of Birth' era (solo) Bruce Dickinson. One of the most catchy and memorable songs you'll hear this year is 'Mesmeric Silence'. Silent the song most definitely is not, but mesmeric it definitely is. Six minutes of pure addiction inducing anthemic heavy metal, that has the mid tempo pace and thundering rhythm that American legends Manowar are famed for. 'Evil' takes a long nod back to the NWOBHM heyday, with a guitar sound that would not be out of place during the eighties evolution of heavy metal. Chugging relentlessly with its buzzing guitar sound, 'Evil' is traditional heavy metal that will please "old school" fans the world over.    
             
With an increase in intensity and heaviness, 'Mark Of Chaos' races into life, setting a blistering pace as it romps on its way. Pace does slow when the vocals kick in, but boy this is heavy stuff. A more menacing vocal delivery adds to the songs dark atmosphere, and when the chorus chimes in, the pace increases and storms by. A superb song and a must listen. Keeping the pace quick, 'Privilege' is a rumbling storm of rampant riffs and galloping rhythms. 'Wildfire' is another anthemic romp, with a sparkling vocal performance and a high paced, sing a long-able chorus break. This is the only song on the album to feature the European power metal style of music. Perpetual Rage may be from mainland Europe, but their style of music is very much traditional sounding with dashes of NWOBHM thrown in. Bringing the album to a close is the atmospheric 'Silent Sky', and for forty five minutes I thought the album was gonna pass by without a ballad... 'Silent Sky' will have lighters held aloft, with arms waving and bodies swaying as it wanders on to its conclusion.    
             
Overall, a cracking display of catchy and addictive heavy metal with every song different in tone and vibe, giving the fan a varied listening experience.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Inverse Records    
             
Review is also featured at Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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