If you take a pinch of traditional metal (as the PR material suggests) say Dio and a hefty progressive/traditional combination of mid period Savatage, then you have Crimson Cult. This Austrian band have previously been known by many other names, but with Günter Maier behind the music and the guitars, Crimson Cult have special meaning, they have melody and arrangements that some writers would give their right arm for but most of all, they have memorable epic tunes. The ace in the pack comes right at you with the opener ‘State ofFear’. This has it all; the guitar work is stunning whilst Walter Stüfer’s voice is the real deal. The ability to portray emotive lyrics with a heavy passion is an art in itself, the melodies, well, that is simply something else you need to listen to ‘Behind the Curtain’ to get this point and you may also find a clever way of integrating keyboards into music. The keys enhance the atmosphere; they are subtle, understated, but very effective. This is actually like one of those albums I grew up adoring as a youngster, full marks for effort indeed.
Music with passion is often overlooked for shear aggression, nastiness or for tales of good old Lucifer himself. Crimson Cult presents a story, a tale to tell without this unholy or angry need or desire. The resultant joy of tracks like ‘The Long Way Home’ speaks volumes. Running in at just over 9 minutes this has value and time well spent is justifiably rewarded. Building after each second passes, Stüfer once again reels you into the Crimson Cult majesty, how many more times can I say the same thing, well yes its true, ‘Tales of Doom’ is an epic slab of metal that deserves, in fact earns the right to be heard. The musicianship is second to none, Crimson Cult are ones to watch if you like thoughtful traditional heavy metal.
(8/10 Paul Maddison)
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