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Severed Angel

    
       
       
       
     
             
Severed Angel are a melodic metal band from the USA formed in 2022, releasing their self titled debut album in 2023.    
             
Combining traditional heavy metal with elements of thrash and symphonic metal, the band storm through the ten songs on offer in a little under forty five minutes - ending the album with a spectacular cover version of...nah, I ain't gonna tell ya yet! But trust me when I say, it's a phenomenal cover - definitely worth the (album's) purchase price alone! But let's begin at the beginning, with the one and a half minute instrumental opener 'Introspection' - delivering a kind of space exploration style soundtrack, building to a crescendo...    
             
...and lurching forth into album opener proper 'In The Red'. Bustling along at a fairly high tempo and pace, 'In The Red' echoes the glorious sound of traditional heavy metal, with elements of power metal woven in! The band have made an immediate impact with the first song on their first album, offering a bombastic barrage of metal to please the worlds metalheads. Introducing a more epic feel, 'Dogs Of War' adopts a symphonic metal edged canter, the band letting loose with an incredible change of pace and speed! Definitely one for the mosh pits to go crazy over, Severed Angel even throw in a little thrash metal aggression! The self titled song 'Severed Angel' chimes in at just two minutes in length, toeing the hymn-like line with one hundred percent majesty, bordering on ballad territory - so feel free to raise your lighters high.    
             
Maintaining the previous songs hymn-like nature, 'A New Beginning' creeps in, and builds towards, but never gets to, the thundering nature I was expecting. The band continuing to stoutly toe the hymn like, ballad stance - until a complete personality change half way through, and 'A New Beginning' does become the thundering, lumbering, hard and heavy hitter I was expecting! And with an emphatic change in pace and power, Severed Angel romp forth with the bombastic 'Wide Awake In Screamland', planting their collective feet on the monitors and adopting the classic stance of traditional heavy metallers! The band favour an all encompassing heavy hitting sound, which is fucking great for oomph. It's also great for taking your breath away - which the album has done a couple of times! The groove metal opening of 'Attachment Unavailable' is amazing, the band stepping on the gas and accelerating fast to become a thunderous avalanche of symphonically tinged heavy metal.    
             
The album has gotten better and better song by song, with the unimaginatively titled eighth song 'Number 8' another fast paced rampage of varying styles - this time thrash metal taking the ascendancy. Featuring more aggression than heard anywhere else on the album, 'Number 8' is gonna attract all manner of metallers from many different genres of metal. And as the albums final spectacle looms near, Severed Angel surge on with the seven minutes plus cracker 'With Wings Anew', and a majestic swagger that smells strongly of anthemic metal - until the one minute mark when the bands trademark heaviness descends like an elevator going down! 'With Wings Anew' meanders through all Severed Angel's musical influences, providing an insight into what inspires the band. Which brings us to the albums spectacular finale, the bands cover version of 'Square Hammer' - the billboard number one "mainstream rock" single by Swedish rock sensation Ghost. Taken from their 2016 E.P. 'Popestar', Severed Angel have done a fantastic job here, retaining the songs original oomph and oof, pace, tempo, and melodious intent. It really is worth the (album's) purchase price.    
             
Overall, an infectious mix of heavy metal with symphonic and thrash metal elements all rolled up in a melodious coating.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
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