Pharoah | ‘Be Gone’
By today’s standards Traditional stroke Power Metal is hardly one of the most detail driven genres out there. This is made all the more obvious when pretty much the majority of newcomers are still drawing heavily off the format long established by Maiden and Priest. It’s nothing to be ashamed of mind, and the fans expect nothing less. Yet there does come a time when a little more adventurous dabbling and experimentation would be warmly welcomed. Take this latest effort from Pharaoh as a prime example. Okay, so it’s a true saying that one either loves or hates this style of metal, but to make it easier for those of you still undecided on which camp you fall into, there’s absolutely nothing here that you haven’t somewhere else before.
As it stands, ‘Be Gone’ has up-beat tunes delivered with precision musicianship and some very tasty lead work. These are all hallmark trades of course yet there’s many a band who can’t even get that part down to a tee. But to be totally honest, the record falls prey to being relentlessly dull in places and if it were not for the powerful centre stage performance from vocalist Tim Aymar of Control Denied fame, would be completely forgettable. There’s only nine songs though, which total at just over three quarters of an hour. Pat on the back there gents because more and more bands in this field seem to persist in trying to squeeze as much onto a disc as possible. This, as many will attest, always involves a hefty chunk of filler seeping in that could have otherwise been left out, making for a more concise listen.
A good few licks do hit the jackpot, and a very authentic old school sound adds some flare and prestige which seems to be a lost undertaking as more and more artists opt for the crystal clean (read: homogenous) route in the studio. The rapturous chorus of ‘No Remains’ as well as the closing bars of ‘Red Honor’ showcase Pharaoh at their best. Sadly though, it just doesn’t hit the mark that’s needed to excel in an oversaturated industry. ‘Be Gone’ is not a bad record, but it’s not without its flaws, being indistinguishable from just about every other band playing this music. A respectable effort if simply a little redundant in the wake of modern releases. For die-hard fans of the genre only.
3.0 / 5 - David McCann ::: 26/08/08