Since their great 2010 debut album, these American’s have been steadily developing their sound and love for old metal. Old metal may be harsh, but is a style I grew up with so its old/classic to me! In particular on this effort, there is a great deal of NWOBHM worship, with a particular nod to Angel Witch, especially their debut and current album release. Vocalist Bret Batteau has all the classic vocal tones, melodies and tricks of the trade nailed to a tee, the guitar sound matches the intensity of the melodic harmonising perfectly backed with a thunderous standard drum beat. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Züül are authentic and genuine without being pure copycats.
‘Show No Mercy’ and ‘Guillotine’ are particular tracks of notable quality, each has its own premise, its own sense of composure and melody, soothing that is gladly welcome in a time when it’s all coming back to fruition instead of bands relying on aggression alone. This is what makes a style of metal like this memorable, the melody. The uplifting experience is not completely without its minor difficulties as in some quarters the sound or rather its intensity dips a little below to blow your speaker levels, the overall mix loses some of the notes here and there. But, this will really not inhibit any enjoyment of this classic traditional metal/NWOBHM musical journey.
The artwork to this album perfectly complements the ethos and ideals of the genre and the bands output of recent times, all we really need to know is when they are coming to Europe and especially our little UK island! Filled with majesty and passion, ‘To The Frontlines’ is a perfect follow up second full length album, this band continue to develop and continue to grow their army of fans and that is something that Züül can be very proud of, as they genuinely deserve credit where credit is due.
(7.5/10, Paul Maddison)
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