Sunday, May 18, 2014

ELVENKING: "The Pagan Manifesto"

Rating: R+
Label: AFM 2014
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

The Pagan Manifesto does much to justify their self-proclaimed likeness to kitsch and fantasy folk power metal? Throw in the violin every now and then and it's sometimes a sort of different approach to kitsch than your fellow Italians of Rhapsody (Of Power). I believe it's their 8th studio album by now and it becomes apparent that the Elvenkings are merely a bunch of wanna bee's or has been's. Nothing here stands out above the rest of the tracks and it's just a mish-mash of fairy's and elves - it's all the same to me. J.R.R. Tolkien wouldn't approve though.

Love'em or hate'em, The Elvenkings return with yet another packed CD of almost-songs as they deliver their over the top metal the extravaganza way of living. I'm not quite sure why the great Amanda Somerville bother to turn up for the guest appearance, but her performance is head and shoulder above the rest of the pack. The extremely shouty choir-like backing vocals throughout the majority of the album gets on your nerves in the long run. It's the layer upon layer effect which tend to sound like (Italo) Disney to these ears. Hello Mickey? I'm Goofy...

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