Description

Blue vinyl with lyric insert. Limited 350 numbered copies

Denmark’s Royal Hunt are at it again, this time around with a new singer in Mark Boals (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire), who replaces John West, and a continuation of the Paradox saga, one of their most respected works, in the form of Paraxo II Collision Course. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for bands to create sequels to concept albums, so keyboard wiz Andre Andersen and his group of merry men should be no exception. All the bombast and passion you would normally expect from Royal Hunt is here, Boals fitting in quite well actually, as the band churns out ten tracks of melodic, symphonic, progressive metal. In addition, there are a host of guest vocalists who helped with the album, including Ian Parry, Doogie White, and a few others. Some additional musicians adding violin, cello, and woodwinds add to the epic scope of the album. Huge beds of orchestral keyboards, searing guitar work, and Boals histrionic vocals take tracks like “The First Rock”, “Exit Wound”, and “The Clan” to grand and powerful places, while “Divide and Reign” and “Tears of the Sun” are just majestic examples of classy progressive metal, featuring plenty of complex instrumental bits, haunting melodies, and strong vocals. Speaking of vocals, if anyone wondered how much Mark Boals had left in him, check out his soaring pipes on “Hostile Breed”, where he gets in some Halford/Owens/King Diamond type upper register screams amidst his more mid-range melodic style, showing he can still hang with the big boys of the metal world. Jidell also really shines on this one with some tasty neo-classical shredding. Paradox II is a new chapter in the history of the band, as they take a new step forward with new singer Boals and a continuation of the Paradox saga.

Track list:
1. Principles of Paradox
2. The First Rock
3. Exit Wound
4. Divide and Reign
5. High Noon at the Battlefield
6. The Clan
7. Blood In Blood Out
8. Tears of the Sun
9. Hostile Breed
10. Chaos A. C.