REVIEW: POWER THEORY - Out of the Ashes

 

POWER THEORY - Out of the Ashes (2011)

Pure Steel Records

One of my favourite metal record labels has struck again. Following the excellent debut album by ARTIZAN, Pure Steel Records presented POWER THEORY, a U.S. metal band whose first full-length, Out of the Ashes, arrived after the group had already introduced itself with a single and an EP. The album therefore represented an important step for the band: the move from promising beginnings to a complete, fully developed statement.

Unfortunately, Out of the Ashes tired me.

The album contains the ingredients one would expect from a traditional U.S. Metal release — heavy guitars, melodic passages, an epic atmosphere and a clear affection for the classic Metal tradition — but the songwriting does not always manage to maintain the same level of interest from beginning to end. There are good ideas here, but they often need stronger development and more memorable arrangements in order to give the songs the necessary impact. The band clearly had potential, but at this stage it still needed to improve its songwriting skills in order to progress.

The best track of the album is undoubtedly “Uriel’s Tears”, the ballad of the record. It is a really great song and, interestingly enough, one of the moments where the band manages to create a more emotional and memorable atmosphere without relying exclusively on heaviness. “Slay the Beast Within” is also a good track and gives a better idea of what POWER THEORY could achieve when the songwriting is more focused.

The album is therefore not without its merits. There is genuine enthusiasm for classic Heavy Metal throughout Out of the Ashes, and the band's direction is clear. However, enthusiasm alone is not enough to make an entire album consistently compelling. More variety, stronger songwriting and songs that remain in the listener's memory would have made a considerable difference.

In conclusion, Out of the Ashes is a mediocre debut album. It shows potential, but it also makes clear that POWER THEORY still had some way to go before reaching the level of the more established names in the traditional Metal scene.

And since this was a release on Pure Steel Records, there was certainly no shortage of alternatives. The label had already offered — and would continue to offer — considerably stronger material, from ARTIZAN to the latest album by Swiss veterans EMERALD, No Mercy by Commandment, as well as reissues from bands such as HALLOWEEN. For listeners with limited money to spend on Metal records, there were simply more rewarding choices to make.

Ioannis Kaskamanidis