Label : Massacre Records
Review by Tony Cannella
They say everything old is new again (I’m not sure who “they” are, but somebody said it), and that seems to be the case with a lot of metal bands these days– female and male fronted – adding a definite classic metal style to their sound. One of the latest to do this is Belgium’s Nightqueen who has just released their debut album “For Queen and Metal”. With a title like “For Queen and Metal” you pretty much know what you are going to get, just full-on classic metal. Nightqueen incorporates more keyboards than most bands that play this style of music, but the keyboards are in perfect harmony with the vocals and other musicians, and I suppose this is what sets them apart a bit. First off, the songs on “For Queen and Metal” are melodic and infectious as hell, they just soar and Nightqueen captures that classic melodic 80s sound perfectly. Vocalist Keely Larreina packs all of the power of Doro Pesch and Marta Gabriel while still coming across as different. As the opening intro “Into the Night” (I’m sure this will open their live shows) reaches its crescendo the band launches into “Nightfall”, which is an incomprehensibly awesome way to begin things. “Mystical Night” became a huge favorite of mine and would make a great video track (hint, hint). This is Nightqueen at their melodic best. On this mid-tempo tune Keely sings her heart out and the song is buoyed by a memorable melody and chorus. By this point, I could not wait to see what would come next. I was not disappointed as the opening riff to the title song “For Queen and Metal” kicked in. “Lady Fantasy” is next follows the same musical direction as “Mystical Night”. “Nocturnal Thoughts” is the closest thing to a ballad here; it starts off slow but the song quickly picks up the pace and settles into a nice, effortless mid-tempo groove. The 7-minute “Majesty” has an appealingly dramatic quality to it. The final track “Dark Fairy” is 8 ½ minutes long and opens with some samples of historical figures to contribute to the epic-ness of this track which brings things to a conclusion on a very high note. There is plenty to love about Nightqueen, especially if you yearn for the days of 80s metal, but even if you aren’t necessarily from that era Nightqueen is a special band. “For Queen and Metal” should be able to find its niche among fans of Manowar, Crystal Viper, Accept, Warlock and bands of that style. It is always good when you hear a band like Nightqueen who flies the flag for pure heavy metal. Everything old is new again, and that is fine by me.
Rating – 94/100
Tracklist
- Into the Night
- Nightfall
- Mystical Night
- For Queen and Metal
- Lady Fantasy
- Nocturnal Thoughts
- Secret of the Blind Man
- Majesty
- Rebel to Rebel
- Screaming for Mercy
- Dark Fairy
Line Up
- Keely Larreina – Lead Vocals
- Rex Zeco – Guitar
- Alex Rawson – Guitar
- Steven Steele – Bass
- Daniel Kells – Keyboards
- William Blodyn – Drums
Links