I remember the first time I heard Matthias Steele’s
“Haunting Tales of a Warrior’s Past” on Youtube a few years back, but could
only find a copy of cassette online, which was going for some price that I was
unwilling to pay. Fortunately, Minotauro Records decided to reissue the album
and a reasonably priced CD became available. (Off topic, but I have to mention,
I was disappointed with the cover art being changed to a more comic book
drawing as opposed to the original work that looked like it was pulled from
early Magic the Gathering.)
I’ll admit, when I was a kid, anything related the
Christianity and heavy metal was an immediate turn off, but as I’ve grown and
matured, I try not to let any views or opinions sway me from at least giving an
album a try. Anyhow, Matthias Steele play a very catchy brand of power metal,
that although is rooted in Christianity, is not a constant “praise the lord”
style of worship by any means. Make no mistake, this is a heavy metal album
through and through and the lyrical themes taken nothing away from its
brilliance.
As for the music, the first thing that will grab your
attention are Anthony Lionetti’s vocals. This man can sing. His range is
incredibly wide and he’s not afraid to let it loose on “Haunting Tales of a
Warrior’s Past”. Whether it’s a high note, a low note or holding a note over a
period of time, Lionetti does so flawlessly. Now, I don’t know the history of
the band or its members, but as far as I can tell, Matthias Steele would be
Lionetti’s only outfit he would be a part of, which is a shame. His soaring
vocals could have easily risen the heights of Russell Allen, Fabio Lione or
Andi Deris had he continued walking the path of heavy metal.
Throughout the album, the guitars quickly hook the listener
with their ability to create catchy riffs and strong leads that help set the
stage for Lionettis’s vocals. They play both a very up tempo style in vain of
the classic US power metal mold, but also slow things down to provide an almost
progressive element, which often build into an anthemic chorus. The same can be
said for the acoustic guitar, which easily has the same effect to set the tone
for a particular song. This can be heard on “Shadow of Illusion” when the
acoustic kicks things off with a subtle, yet strong opening, which slowly
builds until the electric guitar enters (along with the bass) and generates a
memorable display of riffs and rhythms. This may also be Lionetti’s best work
on the album as to this day, I still find myself singing “In the corner of my eye” aloud at random times.
As I mentioned, the bass is also a key player in the overall
sound, playing nicely with the guitars especially when the band incorporates a
nice solo (although there are not many). The drums are often front and center,
which is often an issue with production (sometimes making them pop too much and
leads to overshadowing the guitars), by they lend a nice dose of speed metal
ala Blind Guardian to the overall sound. Despite a few sound flaws, all the
instruments can be heard throughout the album and they harmonize nicely along
with Lionetti’s vocals to create some very crisp sounding power metal.
Don’t let the Christianity tag sway you from picking up
“Haunting Tales of a Warrior’s Past”. This is one of those shamefully
overlooked power metal albums that got lost in the shuffle. One listen will
explain why it was a shame these guys were moribund for 25 years after this
release. Power metal fans rejoice.
Highlights: “Magick Wand” “Shadow of Illusions” “Return with
a Vengeance”
Rating: 4
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