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The Curse Of The Avenger

      
         
         
         
     
             
Skeletoon are a power metal band from Italy formed in 2011 who released their debut album in 2016.    
             
Europe has a great tradition in producing power metal bands, especially Germany, but from Italy, comes a new band who go by the name of Skeletoon. The five piece band deliver heavy, power metal, steeped in tradition and sounding like the evolutionary days of the late eighties and early nineties. Their debut album opens with the atmospheric, atmosphere creating, building to a crescendo 'Timelord' before the song launches into a blistering gallop echoing the power and speed of greats such as Helloween, Running Wild and Gamma Ray. With a singer whose voice bears a striking resemblance to Michael Kiske (ex Helloween singer), the vocal delivery is clean and clear. The galloping rhythms match the pulsating pace as the album lurches forward to 'What I Want'. The pace is quicker, the energy levels are higher and this is looking like being a good album.    
             
'Heroes Don't Complain' is a mid tempo, buzzsaw style guitaring, heavy hard rock song that just oozes the melodic side of power metal. Still quick enough for furious head banging 'Heroes Don't Complain' is powerful and pulsating. And suddenly, all pace drops off as 'Hymn To The Moon' floats in, acoustic guitars, soulful vocals and a desire to raise your lighters in the air and sway from side to side. The title song 'The Curse Of The Avenger' strides in and majestically foot stomps all over the senses. Mixing elements of Judas Priest and Helloween, 'The Curse Of The Avenger' is a melodic hard rock stomp that will have you head nodding in one hundred percent appreciation. Now, I've always said that modern day power metal bands will always have at least one ballad on their albums, but in the case of Skeletoon, they have two - 'Bad Lover' once again drops the pace and power in favour of acoustics, slow sung energy less vocals and a need to once again raise the lighters high...the same lighters you only put away five minutes ago.    
             
With a song title that Manowar would be proud of 'Heavy Metal Dreamers' is a rocket blast of supersonic proportions that will even make Dragon Force seem slow. 'Heavy Metal Dreamers' is furiously paced speed metal with an anthemic style chorus that just begs to be screamed, and screamed loud. A scorching pace matched by blistering guitars and rampaging rhythms, 'Heavy Metal Dreamers' is by far and away the best song on the album. The album is brought to a close by the thunderous, mid tempo stomping, 'Joker's Turn'. A slight hint of the AC/DC boogie and the buzzing guitars chug endlessly as 'Joker's Turn' rambles to a close.    
             
Overall, high energy, intense power metal, echoing the standard set by greats Helloween and Running Wild during the late eighties.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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