Sacred Oath - A crystal vision 2.5/5
Reviewed: 3-8-02
Tracklist:
1. Two powers
2. The ferryman's lair
3. Message to the children
4. Rising from the grave
5. The beginning
6. Magick son
7. Shadow out of time
8. The omen
9. A crystal vision
10. The reign
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This is a re-release from Sentinel Steel of this (late 80s) power/speed metal amalgam. First off, hail on the re-release format, beautiful booklet, packaging, with lyrics, history, photos, etc., artwork, and I don't know what the original production was like, but this remastered version sounds great, with that clean, full metal sound that I really love.
The CD overall is quite good, I can see why Sentinel Steel chose to re-release it, with the great supply of fast riffs, leads, and precise instrumental work, and an alleged concept album which pretty much sounds like 80s metal ode to fantasy, i.e., not nearly direct, polished, or complex as what we get now, but which is still cool.
The singer, Thorne (who apparently changed his name after seeing 'The Omen', and who you might recall released the first conceptual Shakespeare album, Iago, under his solo name, which was prog rock/metal opera) is pretty good, but it's a bit on the constantly high side, almost completely impossible to understand without the lyric sheet, and he's just not overall as enjoyable as my favorite vocalists from the era, though I can definitely enjoy the vocals overall. Also, the songwriting is not what I enjoy as much, with very few choruses used at all which makes it a bit harder to get into the music. However, it overall is still a strong CD, and the great reissue at a very reasonable price makes it a recommendation anyway.
CRAIG
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