I can’t help it: I always shudder when I read or hear the phrase ‘melodic metal’. Zoltar Speaks are metal, and they’re melodic, and have a female singer, but for the most part manage to place the riffs centre stage. ‘Save As I Save’ may sound like a slogan for a new campaign to promote a bank account, but is in fact a bombastic chunk of melodic metal that also slides with moderate frequency ino tuneful hard rock. The rolling piano intro builds atmosphere and drama, but manages to stay on the right side of pomposity and they burn through some worthy chuggage on the first few tracks.
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‘I’m Coming’ gets a bit Evanessance, but ‘Face the Claymore’ sees Louise Body sounding positively satanic as she howls vitriol like a woman possessed. There’s a demonic force to ‘Flesh and Blood’ too, although elsewhere the guitars get a bit fretwanky in places (‘Take it Away’ comes on like Brian May playing the solo from ‘Hotel California’). Acoustic ballad ‘Braver’ just ain’t metal, and nor is it much good, but on balance, it’s certainly one of the more appealing albums in its field.
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