FRENZY FIRE

    

METAL & ROCK REVIEWS

    
             
HOME            
REVIEWS            
ARTISTS            
UPCOMING            
LINKS            
             

     
   
   
       
       

Electric Spell

    
       
       
       
     
             
Split Heaven are a heavy metal band from Mexico formed in 2003 who released their debut album 'Psycho Samurai' in 2008. Two more albums followed in the space of two years - 'Street Law' (2011) and 'The Devil's Bandit' (2013) with the bands fourth album 'Death Rider', a 2016 release. With a sound a blend of Helloween, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, the Mexican metallers now unleash their fifth album 'Electric Spell'...    
             
...released in 2021, featuring fifty minutes of heavy metal fury come power metal pomp. 'Electric Spell' (the album) glides into sight on the crest of the Spanish flavoured instrumental intro 'Gerudo Valley' - which incidentally, is Split Heaven's take on Japanese composer and pianist Koji Kondo's musical composition contribution for the Nintendo video game Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. 'Gerudo Valley' builds an intense crescendo of tension, gaining pace until you're well and truly whammed, bammed and slammed into next week with the fast paced gallop of album opener proper 'Sacred Fire'. The iconic traditional heavy metal gallop is in full flight as Split Heaven shudder the ground with an avalanche of "foot on the monitor" fury.    
             
A belter of an opening, the band power on with the heavier hitting 'Soul Possessor'. A majestic foot stomping attitude is woven into the traditional metal gallop, with tempo and pace changes galore, Two very different styles shown across the albums first two songs, becomes three, as scorching power metal rises to the surface for the fast paced 'The Haunted Palace'. The head bangers of the world are gonna love 'The Haunted Palace' as it furiously romps on to an end. And the furious pace is far from over - 'Revolucion' a fist punching, adrenaline pumping rampage of all out heavy metal. The killer foot on the monitor style is in full flow, with heads banging vigorously just to keep pace.    
             
Switching gears, Split Heaven ramp up the pace for the blistering 'Back From Purgatory'. Dropping a gear as the vocals kick in, Split Heaven echo the classic Judas Priest power-driven metal style. 'Back From Purgatory' is one hundred percent infectious, and will attract many, if not all, of heavy metals' traditionalists due to its iconic NWOBHM guitar sound. It's fantastic that a sound, created forty years ago, is still inspiring bands today. The furious pace from earlier makes an emphatic return in the mighty shape of the speedster 'Hellion's Night'. Very much a power metal come heavy metal combination, 'Hellion's Night' is a rampant head banger. The self titled 'Split Heaven' is a thundering mid tempo anthem. The heavy foot stomping rhythm will have your feet stamping the ground hard, and your fists raised high in salute.    
             
The intense energy of the album hasn't relented for one second, Split Heaven delivering unabashed heavy metal that will delight and excite the bands legion of fans - and attract many new ones too! Scorching pace lights up 'Electric Spell' (the album) as 'Let's Fight' takes flight and proceeds to pound and pummel the senses with a savage barrage of riffs. The galloping style of traditional heavy metal is well and truly in the building! The title song 'Electric Spell' is the most eighties sounding offering the album has to, err, offer... The galloping rhythm made famous by British stalwarts Iron Maiden's 'Run To The Hills' era, is clearly evident - Split Heaven delivering their interpretation of a sound nearly four decades old!    
             
Overall, an energetic gallop of traditional heavy metal, 'Electric Spell' is a cracking album.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Death Rider      
           
"blistering heavy power metal played at a relentless pace with a superb NWOBHM feel to it, that will keep you head banging for ages" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
Top