Fifth Angel

Those without prior knowledge of Fifth Angel may observe this cover art, which looks like some weird Chinese bootleg of Disney's Hercules, assured in the knowledge that it can't possibly warrant such a lofty, near-perfect score. Well buddy, judging books by their cover is precisely why teenage Tanuki ignored Riot and bought a Sylosis album, and I'm still wondering which was the bigger mistake. So I urge you to go into this with an open mind, and if all goes according to plan, you'll have your perception of USPM altered forever.

Much like Griffin's Flight of the Griffin or, speaking of Riot, Thundersteel, Fifth Angel's self-titled debut was a plucky underdog in a perilously oversaturated scene. This meant bands needed to be more daring and ambitious than ever, and Fifth Angel seemed to take that as a challenge. Whether it's the melancholic acoustics of 'Fade to Flames' (sounding rather similar to Styx's 'Suite Madame Blue', strangely) transitioning into mighty, warmongering gallops, or the dazzling riff acrobatics setting the stage of 'The Night', it's quickly made apparent that Fifth Angel had both the brains and brawn to sculpt a towering marble colossus of classic power metal.

You want more proof? Look no further than the title track: Fifth Angel's 'Fifth Angel' from Fifth Angel (Fifteenth Angel?) is an absolute banger, pressing onward with the grim determination of a heavy battle tank rumbling down your street. Its pacing and brilliantly flashy guitar harmonies make it a force of nature, cut from the same cloth as Liege Lord, and, dare I even say, Crimson Glory. 'Cry Out the Fools' in particular sounds like it could have been in Crimson Glory's own self-titled debut, sharing quite a bit in common with 'Queen of the Masquerade'.

Which I suppose brings me to vocals. Now, if you took every band I mentioned so far, and combined the talent of all of their singers, I'm pretty sure the Doomsday Clock would be pushed ten minutes forward. I bill Crimson Glory's Midnight as one of the greatest singers period, let alone in 80's USPM. So it hardly seems fair to compare him to Fifth Angel's Ted Pilot, regardless of how similar the musical style is... but I'll be honest. It's actually a pretty fair fight. There's an unbelievable amount of power behind Pilot's head voice, summoning immediate awe in the opening barnstormer 'In The Fallout'. The last note he sings in this composition is sustained for about twenty goddamn seconds, which is about eighteen seconds longer than I can. Not to mention, the end of 'Wings of Destiny' is an utterly jaw-dropping display of his higher registers, which I truly believe rivals the majesty of Crimson Glory, Thundersteel, Ample Destruction, you name it.

Shame that he's now a dentist. But anyway, Fifth Angel was more than just a phenomenal vocalist and a backing band. As I said before, the musicianship and presentation here is just superb. Fleetfooted drumwork, vivacious solos and unspeakably emotional atmosphere, Fifth Angel really has it all. If I had to point to a track that even slightly "blah", I'd probably go with 'Shout it Out', sounding rather like the crossroads between Manowar and Scorpions. Not a bad combination, mind you, but all of the other tracks were more like a combination of molten lava and T-rex spunk.

I found about these “angels” in 1989 when two of their tracks from the recently released sophomore, “Broken Dreams” and “Seven Hours”, became very regularly rotated tunes around the Bulgarian radio stations. I got the album before long and got instantly hooked to it as it was one supremely catchy retro heavy/power metal goodness, and I was an incorrigible sucker for those back then.

However, tracking down the album here was a near-impossible task, to the point that I completely gave up at some stage as I kept coming across albums of other acts erroneously presented as the Fifth Angel’s first showing. It turned out that a good friend of mine, by no means the most avid metalhead out there, had had the cassette for quite some time but for a fairly logical reason this was one of the few people that I would never have thought of asking about it (the looks sometimes deceive badly…).

So I finally got this mythical debut, having the terrible certainty that it was going to be nearly as good as the follow-up. And yes, it was on all counts the angelic team showing a lot of promise from the very start with this fairly cool slab of vintage power/speed metal antics. There’s an alternation between dynamic fast-paced and slower, more radio-friendly cuts, nearly sustained till the end, the former side of it naturally pushed up front with “In the Fallout” energizing the environment to almost early German speed metal proportions with the sharp fiery riffs, Ted Pilot’s vocals assisting not very obtrusively with their characteristic composed clean mid-ranged timbre. The guys make sure their creation never falls for the more aggressive temptations and “Shout It Out” shouts in a more welcoming manner, an infectious hymn that would have made Judas Priest or Accept quite proud. These two songs set the tone for what follows with soaring speedsters (“Call Out the Warning”) taking turns with bouncy hard’n heavy (“Only the Strong Survive”) fist-pumpers, the provision of the obligatory ballad (“Wings of Destiny”) taking care of the 80’s listener’s expectations for such respites.

Stylish blazing lead sections carve the setting, the guys’ worthy exploits not occupying much space; a strange decision having in mind that the band were signed by Shrapnel, the shelter for the majority of the guitar virtuosos around the world at the time. Under the circumstances this opus here can’t pass for a guitar-oriented affair, like the works of their labelmates Apocrypha, Cacophony or Leatherwolf, as the focus is clearly on memorable non-flashy compositions and a more traditional song-writing. However, the “least Shrapnel-sounding of the Shrapnel brotherhood” tag that can be attached to the guys’ repertoire is by no means a criticism since the final product can easily race with the best produced by acts like Omen, Chastain, early Lazz Rockit, etc. the band keeping the flag of US power metal raised high.

Although said power metal-based histrionics kind of stepped down for the sophomore, this opus much closer to the traditional heavy metal canons, this second coming still delivers the goods in a more convincing way… for me I mean. I find every track from it an instant hit, very easily sticking in the mind, and not just because I’ve listened to them, and still do, much more regularly. There isn’t a drastic stylistic difference between the two, truth be told; in fact, it’s very easy to see the same musicians behind both recordings… I guess it’s those always present nostalgic factors that we attach to our favourite music, some albums edging out others for a place in our hearts and souls for reasons which we can’t explain clearly.

With a third secret… sorry, instalment freshly released upon the fanbase it seems as though the band are intent on giving themselves another chance in the new millennium, the style pretty much intact from the earlier efforts. In other words, our prayers have been heard and we’re about to receive new, more or less updated metal bibles from this angelic batch with which to replace the old ones that we have been sleeping with tucked under our pillows; ones that will keep our faith all the way to the next aeon.

Fifth Angel stood as a fairly anomalous act for me to follow in the 80s, because they represent a much cleaner, tidier sound than I was quite accustomed to. No dirty thrashing, no pulverizing extremity, simply a band of quality songwriters who wrote two albums and called it a day (reforming recently). This s/t debut is accessible heavy/power metal of the highest order, for it seeks nothing else than to satisfy with its resonant vocal melodies, riffs played straight from the belt, searing guitar leads courtesy of the excellent James Byrd, and and overall favorable impression that I felt out of few other US bands in the 80s (perhaps Queensryche, Lizzy Borden, old Fates Warning, and a handful more). That Fifth Angel was not a bigger hit really saddens me. The band had a major label deal through Epic Records, and there was certainly some level of promotion for this release, since a lot of my friends in high school had heard or at least heard of it, and the consensus was favorable, even from those into more extreme bands like Slayer and such.

Fortunately, the band wrote such a fine collection of songs on this debut that they truly stand the test of time, and anyone seeking to rediscover the heart of 80s US metal would do well to study its vaunted arches of verse/chorus/verse/chorus/solo/verse/chorus bliss, because its one of the penultimate 80s 'pop metal' records, easily destroying the collected output of 99% of all the mainstream glam metal fops like Poison, Warrant and Bon Jovi, and well on par with the better work of the Scorpions, Quiet Riot, Ratt and so forth, though Fifth Angel had a more somber, serious undercurrent to their writing which would probably function better amongst the more serious power/prog metal fans of that era. Even the cover image to this record stands out to me, for its iconic image wrapped in fine, classic text font on a purity white background, and the production here is outstanding. Each instrument pops and simmers with clarity, and though the vocals of Ted Pilot might fly across the top like the profession of the man's own surname, its all distinctly captured, even the bass lines, which simple as they were, do their job readily.

As pristine as Fifth Angel is, it is still a metal album, and the band reassures you with the opener "In the Fallout", stomping along at a raging middle pace while Byrd snipes in with some great little melody licks. Soon, Pilot surges into a massive chorus that instantly imprints itself on the memory, and you can just hear how larger than life this band and record were. Its so easy to close your eyes and feel yourself fly above the city limits, where daring heroes dash against one another with bullets and fire amidst the clouds. "Shout It Out" slows to a pumping rhythm, once again adrift in Byrd's fancy fills and solid bass lines, and escalates to a huge chorus. This was such a fun song to play on the guitar when I was just picking it up, simple and powerful, with a serious tone to it and badass chorus comparable to the best of Twisted Sister, Scorpions or Quiet Riot. "Call Out the Warning" surfs back to a faster, cruising rhythm with a wicked melodic infusion. Somewhere in the backdrop, angelic choirs escalate as the chorus kicks into overdrive, and the leads are absolutely phenomenal and unforgettable.

Almost in lock step with the transition from "In the Fallout" to "Shout it Out" (there are way too many 'outs' on this record, one little complaint), we next arrive at the band's namesake "Fifth Angel", a moody piece with great 80s synths and a steady plod of careful triplets that waltz on into bridge chords, and then to one of the best chorus parts of this band's career: they call the Fifth Angel! That's all it takes, folks, and you're in metal heaven. Like "Shout it Out", this was a wonderful track to play along to, polished but still heavy in its own way. "Wings of Destiny" is a well composed power ballad, with a catchy chorus, but to be honest, it's the one reason I don't give this record a perfect score, because everything previous to the chorus and lead is not quite superior. However, I should point out that the band does not make this mistake again!

"The Night" is a resonant rocker with a huge atmosphere to the intro, and a bouncy, playful verse riff similar to Kingdom Come's "Do You Like It" (which came a few years later). Yet again, the bridge and chorus vocals work in beautiful cohesion, and Pilot's patterns are pure heavy metal perfection that would easily appeal to fans of Tony Martin or Dio-era Sabbath. "Only the Strong Survive" provides a loving slice of bluesy road warrior metal, chain gang guitar rhythms and a very Dio-like chorus. "Cry Out the Fools" (out and out again!) would easily be a great intro for any wrestler or gladiator to enter the sports arena, and it yet again commits a grievous impact on the palette with its pure melodic chorus syrup. However, waiting in the wings until the climax of the album is the gorgeous ballad "Fade to Flames", one of the very finest of all Fifth Angel's offerings, with beautiful acoustic work, and classical leads that flutter through them before the morose innocence of Pilot's emotional side comes to fruition. You can play this song at my funeral, people, because I'd love to see the look on the gather's face when the power metal riff erupts at 1:15, with the amazingly cute vocals and guitar hooks. I'd also like to point out that this track features some of the best leads I've heard in 32 years of metal fandom. Short, concise, and breathtaking, especially in the intense bridge sequence.

There are not many albums of this exemplary status in the mid 80s, for this was the time in which thrash was perfected and rapidly changing the landscape for most of the evolving metal fans. Traditional metal still thrived in the US and Europe, and Fifth Angel was certainly a band ready for the radio, but for some reason the connection was never made beyond the college metal station rotation. When you consider that bands like Bonfire or House of Lords (the latter also featuring drummer Ken Mary) made a small impact with videos and radio exposure, it absolutely boggles my mind that this Seattle act were not the biggest thing since the invention of the hair lint remover. Don't be turned off by their nearly glam looks, or pop friendly musical narrative, this was a great metal band and if you appreciate good songs and hooks then I'd highly recommend you track this debut down and dive in deeply. Its far better than the follow-up album, and if "Fade to Flames" cannot draw at least a tear from you for brighter, better times, well you're probably some remote appendage of SkyNet.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

The debut. s/t, album of Fifth Angel is one of the finest examples (along with Queensryche's famous EP and with Heir Apparent's "Graceful Inheritence" LP) of the Seattle's 80s Power Metal Scene. Their music has this characteristic sound of the scene carried out in a more melodic approach and being performed excellently in technical terms.

Their main song-writer is the guitar virtuoso, James Byrd. His riff-ology and melodic solos reveal he worshiped bands as UFO and MSG, but he still achieves to be original, sounding more metal than his influences. The most interesting thing about the guitars in this album is that while they are of great technical and artistic value, they do not sound repetitive boring as with most guitar virtuosos (like Malmsteen or Vai), keeping ther spontaneity, necessary for a US Power release. As a composer Byrd seems to have have been taken care of every detail of his guitar work giving his tunes synthetical depth and originality. At this point he is perfectly accompanied by the second guitarist Ed Artcher as well as the drummer, Ken Mary (also worked in Chastain and Accept). Moreover Ted Pilot[vocals] contributes the most in this release using the whole attributes of his voice and not only trying to go as high-pitched as he can, like most of the US Power Metal vocalists, making the final result unique. Finally the production is crystal clear, allowing the listener to grasp the whole of this musical masterpiece.

The album opens with In the Fallout, a catchy-as-hell, fast tune that will make the band's quality obvious from the first second. Shout it Out and Call Out The Warning reveal the musical intelligence of Ted Pilot, the charismatic voice of whom makes the utter result a real masterpiece. Next comes Fifth Angel, probably the best song in the album. Epic feeling at its outmost, in this mid-tempo tune that its guitar work slowly builds the atmosphere up to climax in the last chorus. Wings of Destiny continues with the same style as Fifth Angel, starting only with acoustic guitars and voice for a minute until finally the electric guitar and drums join in. The Night is a more fast and straight-forward song. Drums are setting the tempo up and Byrd gives us the best riff of the album while Pilot spits out the lyrics. In Only the Strong Survive can be described as the more mediocre moment of the album (if some can be found), but still its depth makes it far from typical or boring. Moreover here Byrd gives us his best guitar solo of the album. Cry Out the Fools is another brilliant moment. In similar style with Fifth Angel but less epic, more ballad-like with an excellent solo and the vocals of Pilot in its finest moment. Its lyrical content is also of great artistic value. Last but not least, Fade to Flames seems the perfect closing for a great record. Epic feeling is still present while is Pilot screaming out the lyrics.

All in all here we have to do with a unique album. Maybe the hardcore fans of US Power will be dissapointed, in the beginning with its more melodic approach, but after some few auditions the album will reveal its musical quality. Moreover it will sound interesting even to more Euro Power, Progressive Metal or Hard Rock fans due to its masterful guitar and vocal work and its synthetic depth. A real masterpiece. Buy or die!

What we have here is an 80's power metal band from Seattle, who never really made it anywhere, but did make some really nice power metal. Unfortunately, they only released two albums (self-titled debut in 1986, and the follow-up Time Will Tell in 1988). I've only got the debut as of yet, but plan on getting Time Will Tell anytime soon.
The band played power metal inspired by a variety of bands, like Helloween (Keeper-era) and there's also a certain touch of Crimson Glory in them, although not always noticeable. Actually, it's these guys who seem to have inspired Helloween, as this album was released before the Keepers.
The songs are generally quite short, but most of them have sort of an epic sense, although they're very catchy. Good examples of this are Fifth Angel and Fade To Flames, although it's a fitting description for the entire album.
They're not very heavy either; it's a bit softer than most power metal bands, mostly because of the production where the guitars are occasionally a bit low. And that's a bit of a shame, cause the guitarwork on here is most excellent, containing great speed, melody and catchiness, creating quite an original sound along with the vocalist who doesn't have a very wide range, but still puts alot of power and emotion into his performance.

The five opening tracks on this album is just incredible fucking power metal of extremely high quality. In The Fallout is pretty fast and catchy as hell, Shout it Out is more midpaced and even catchier, Call Out The Warning is an amazing piece of power and speed metal, and the two final songs Fifth Angel and Wings of Destiny take a much more epic approach. Wings of Destiny is the album's most emotional song, and has some moments that sound like a classic power metal ballad, although much better than the average.
The Night follows, which is not near the first five songs but well above average, while the next two songs Only The Strong Survive and Cry Out The Fools are rather boring, especially the first mentioned which is easily the worst song on the album, and is the only really bad song on here.
We finish the album with Fade To Flames, which is also very good. Catchy, somewhat epic, and great galloping riffs.

So aside from two or three songs, this is pretty fucking good power metal, and should definitely be checked out if you're into power metal.