MORNINGSTAR "Weight Of The Hammer" / "Kalevala Mysticism" CD's R.I.P.
This is my first experience with this finnish band. "Weight Of The Hammer"
is album three from 2000 and "Kalevala Mysticism" is album four from 2002.
They didn't catch my interest before, because their 7'' and first CD "Rivendell"
were sold in the black/death section of the distros, and the second CD "Hell"
as a black/thrash album. Both "Weight Of The Hammer" and "Kalevala Mysticism"
are epic heavy metal. Usually I am suspicious when a black/death band has
changed its style as often they do it to gain more money and play trendy
cheesy false metal. That's not the case here. MORNINGSTAR is influenced by
CIRITH UNGOL, MANILLA ROAD, BROCAS HELM and old RUNNING WILD (first two albums
era). You can't sell thousand albums with this music. Plus MORNINGSTAR sounds
quite primitive. The best moments on "Weight Of The Hammer" are the old RUNNING
WILD-ish opener "Northern Summer", the doomy "Electric Battlecry", the powerful
"Pirates Of The Northern Sea", the anthemic "The Last Dragon", the heaviness
of "Traitors Over The Edge", the thundering "The Sign Of Turinas"; and on
"Kalevala Mysticism" are the fantastic "Pagan Funeral", the riding "Sons
Of Kaleva", the haunted doom of "Frozen Woods", "Made Of Iron" with its possessing
chorus, the fighting tune ""Attack", the mystic instrumental "Kalevala".
But the other songs are very good too, as no weak tracks were recorded. In
conclusion, "Weight Of The Hammer" is recommended, and "Kalevala Mysticism"
is absolutely recommended ! I keep my eyes opened for the next album...
Patrick Lefevre
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