{"id":68341,"date":"2017-07-18T18:29:41","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T18:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=68341"},"modified":"2022-04-08T12:19:53","modified_gmt":"2022-04-08T11:19:53","slug":"album-review-desolation-angels-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-desolation-angels-king\/","title":{"rendered":"DESOLATION ANGELS – King (2017) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

DESOLATION ANGELS
King<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nSelf-released (2017)<\/span>
Rating: 8.5\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Three albums in over 30 years is not a good track record from this cult UK band, but when the twin axe attack of original members Keith Sharp and Robin Brancher do get their arses into gear, we just know we\u2019ll be on board.<\/p>\n

King<\/em> is the third, long-awaited platter from a band I\u2019ve worshipped since their classic 1986 self-titled debut. Okay, so such a record seems to stand alone, and maybe due to varying line-ups over the years the dynamics were somehow lost, but this nine-song album is still steely and at times grandiose enough to drag us back into their fiery fray.<\/p>\n

Desolation Angels sadly split in 1994, 13 years after their inception, but came back to the fore in 2012 and two years later released an EP entitled Sweeter The Meat<\/em><\/a>, and so it\u2019s nice that Sharp and Brancher, alongside newer members Keith Taylor (vocals, ex-Elixir), Clive Pearson (bass) and Chris Takka (drums) have given it another go.<\/p>\n

One only has to listen to a track such as \u2018Devil Sent\u2019 to appreciate the quality this combo can still offer. This gloriously subtle and simmering powerhouse of a track builds on those soulful vocal cries in such an epic nature; the guys effortlessly harkening back to those New Wave Of British Heavy Metal days but providing extra fizz. Meanwhile, a track such as \u2018Your Blackened Heart\u2019 really ups the ante as a thrashing, chugging composition of menace; the fizzing riff, the fiery vocals and the galloping percussion unrelenting in their blazing glory as Taylor belts \u201cBehold your blackened heart…\u201d<\/em>, sending chills down the spine.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s a quality that remains throughout, from the opening \u2018Doomsday\u2019 to closer \u2018My Demon Inside\u2019 we hear a band that has progressed from a doomy, rust-ridden 70s influenced NWOBHM combo to something steelier, and almost power metal in its design. But there\u2019s still that wondrous feeling of imperfection. While Taylor can hit the notes, he has a gritty style of old school meatiness, and behind him the bass and drums rumble with dark intent which can only match the lyrical content as \u2018Rotten To The Core\u2019 cynically slides into motion and the black riffs continue to roll with fluidity and gloom.<\/p>\n

But what I love about these guys, in whatever era, is their ability to somehow, naturally, distance themselves from the usual standards of sword n\u2019 sorcery metal \u2013 Desolation Angels somehow being streetwise, sincere, passionate and yet morose, the dark qualities bleeding through every instrument as they drive hard through the likes of the steely \u2018Hellfire\u2019 and yet change pace with \u2018Find Your Life\u2019.<\/p>\n

Throughout this dastardly record there\u2019s a feeling of knowing, like Desolation Angels were, even through their lack of output, some greater god within the scheme of things, observing all that came before and after and just biding their time. King<\/em> is such an important album; one dark and involved, a rich, power metal composition that nods to a hazy past, a bleak present and hopefully a brighter future.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DESOLATION ANGELSKing Self-released (2017)Rating: 8.5\/10 Three albums in over 30 years is not a good track record from this cult UK band, but when the twin axe attack of original members Keith Sharp and Robin Brancher do get their arses into gear, we just know we\u2019ll be on board. King is the third, long-awaited platter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1391],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-desolation-angels"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68341"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93195,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68341\/revisions\/93195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}