Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 02/20/2007
Although
power metal actually started in the '70s with
Judas Priest and
Iron Maiden, the style experienced a huge expansion in the early to mid-'80s with the arrival of
Queensr˙che,
Helloween,
Grim Reaper,
King Diamond, and countless others -- and it's no wonder that so many of the younger
power metal revival bands that debuted in the '90s and 2000s look back on the '80s with such reverence. There is no shortage of adoration for the '80s on
Evolution Hour, a 2006 recording that, stylistically, is firmly planted in
power metal's classic era. You won't find a trace of
death metal,
black metal,
alternative metal, metalcore,
screamo,
grunge,
rap-metal, or
math metal on
Evolution Hour, which is the debut album by
Paganize. This Norwegian band, like countless others who have come out of Europe's
power metal revival scene, is unwavering in its devotion to the past -- and the prominent influences on
Evolution Hour are bands that emerged in the '70s or '80s, including
Priest,
Maiden,
Queensr˙che,
Dio, and
Helloween. Lead singer
Geir Helge Fredheim, in fact, draws on both
Rob Halford's high-pitched wailing and
Bruce Dickinson's gruffness. There are slight hints of
prog metal at times, although
Paganize don't venture nearly as far into the
prog metal waters as, say,
Rhapsody or
Dream Theater. No one will accuse
Evolution Hour of being even remotely groundbreaking;
Paganize's hard-hitting yet melodic material could have easily been written 25 years earlier back in the
Ronald Reagan years. Regardless, the songs on this 59-minute disc are generally decent -- not outstanding or fantastic, but decent, well executed, and certainly listenable. And while
Evolution Hour is not an essential purchase, it was a likable footnote in the crowded
power metal revival scene of 2006.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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