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Ancient Powers Rising

    
       
       
       
     
             
Beast are a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2019, releasing the bands debut album 'Ancient Powers Rising' in 2024...    
             
...featuring eight foot to the floor, "foot on the monitor" metal anthems across a highly head bang-able forty five minutes! The band - Philipp Rethmann (vocals, guitars), Thomas Petersmann (guitars), Kai Mindrup (bass), and Julian Kroger (drums) - are in fine fettle, oozing a tonne of energy and oomph, delivering a revitalised old school heavy metal sound. Inspired by some of the greatest metal bands on the planet such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Manowar and Metallica, Beast roar very loud indeed, melding elements of traditional and thrash metal into one glorious onslaught - an onslaught that begins with the rabble rousing, screaming battle cry "It's Time To Kill The Fucking Dragon", as (album) opener 'Behead The Dragon' accelerates quickly outta the blocks with immense power and energy! The head bang ability here is off the fucking charts, the sound of glorious galloping, traditional heavy metal pouring outta the (albums) opening salvo - the Osnabruck four-piece hitting the ground running! A simply sensational start, Beast surge on with even more pace and power courtesy of 'In The Name Of The Horned One', the band dropping a couple of gears as the song gets going proper, the iconic metal gallop still very much in force as 'In The Name Of The Horned One' becomes a gear changing, pace changing, tempo changing torrent of infectious heavy metal.    
             
The title song 'Ancient Powers Rising' is, in my mind, a cryptic clue to the bands brand of metal music - "ancient powers" referring to the likes of Angel Witch, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon who were instrumental in shaping the sound of heavy metal music over forty years ago, and "rising" as in the music of that era is rising again in the mighty shape of Beast. Funny how one's mind works eh! Anyway, 'Ancient Powers Rising' (the song) is feisty, fast and fairly ferocious, the band keeping the hammer down to race across the land with incredible intensity! And with an anthemic 'Powerslave' era Iron Maiden feel, 'Kingdom Of Steel' strides majestically into sight, Beast pressing the pedal firmly to the metal after just thirty six seconds to charge down the autobahn at high velocity, the local polizei stranded in the bands wake! Now then, a "tempest" is defined as a "blast, gust, or sudden storm" according to the Oxford English Dictionary, and Beast are prepared to ride one - 'Ride The Tempest' an explosive blast that perfectly echoes the legendary NWOBHM sound! The band may be four decades and over nine hundred miles away from the birth of traditional heavy metal in the UK, but boy have they got the essence and aura just right - Beast a new name in heavy metal and one that fits like a glove.    
             
And with even more pace and power, 'Ancient Powers Rising' (the album) scorches the earth with a devastating turn of speed, 'Shadows From The Arcane Tower' dipping a toe over the border into thrash metal territory - the already sky high level of head bang ability surging headlong into outer space! The energy and drive of the album so far has been incredible, every song holding the attentions of every listener very tightly, the band not letting go just yet as 'Ancient Powers Rising' (the album) marches on with the anthemic thunder of 'Swords Are Burning' - the band shuddering the ground once more with immense force! The bombastic nature of 'Swords Are Burning' is emphatic, and puts in the shade such legendary anthemic metallers as Manowar and Sabaton - Beast pulling out all the stops to deliver high impact, power driven heavy metal! The bands debut release comes to a close with the ten minutes plus 'Mystery Of The Lonesome Rider' - the longest song on offer by the proverbial country mile, the band take a leaf out of Iron Maiden's "epic album enders" book! 'Mystery Of The Lonesome Rider' spends the first couple of minutes building the tension from a mellow start, Beast proceeding to weave a majestic path all across heavy metal territory, leaving no stone unturned or any corner unvisited! What an epic, elegant finish to a barnstorming album.    
             
Overall, a fast paced, highly energetic gallop of foot to the floor traditional heavy metal with immense head bang ability.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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