REVIEW: ARTIZAN – Curse of the Artizan

 

ARTIZAN – Curse of the Artizan (2011)

Pure Steel Records

Curse of the Artizan is the first full-length album from this U.S. metal band, following their self-titled EP, released in 2010. Some of the band's members have also played in LEVIATHAN, a known progressive/power metal band.

ARTIZAN's style can be described as technical U.S. power metal, with strong guitar work, powerful drumming and well-developed songwriting. The production is very good, giving the instruments and vocals enough clarity without taking away from the power of the songs. The vocals are particularly strong, while the songwriting manages to maintain the listener's interest throughout the album.

The guitar work is another major strength, combining technical elements with memorable ideas, while the drumming provides the songs with a powerful rhythmic foundation. Among my favourite tracks are "Rise", "Fire", "Game within a Game" and "The Curse of the Artizan"—practically half of the album—which gives a good indication of how consistently strong I find the material.

Overall, Curse of the Artizan is a very good debut and, for me, one of the better metal albums released in 2011. Pure Steel Records had released several strong albums around this period, but ARTIZAN's debut is one of the releases that stands out most. Fans of technical U.S. power metal should certainly give it a listen, while followers of other metal styles may also find something worthwhile in its combination of technical musicianship, melody and power.

Ioannis Kaskamanidis