Heart of Steel

Not long after creating the impressive and fully self-produced debut “No Escape”, At Vance hit the studio to record a follow up with a few new members and a full arsenal of ideas. In terms of both production and songwriting, this album is very similar to the debut, though the way it begins is less abrupt and functions more as a traditional power metal release. It begins fast, the tempo varies from middle to end, and there is a small collection of brilliant remakes of well known songs and classical compositions.

The sound of this band can be best described as a hybrid of power metal and 80s traditional metal, with a strong emphasis on classical harmonic devices similar to those employed by Yngwie Malmsteen and other Neo-classical metal composers. Oliver Hartmann’s vocals bear a strong similarity to original Rising Force vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, although the arrangement of vocal harmonies in several works on this album is a bit more ambitious than that of Soto’s at the time. Olaf Lenk’s guitar playing is a more reserved, yet equally apt version of Malmsteen’s brand of shred; utilizing melodic passages that can be sung along with a bit more regularly.

The first 3 songs on this album are obvious highlights, containing melodic themes and passages that stick to your memory instantly. The opening track “Prelude” is a rather simple lute passage that segues directly into “Soldier of Time”, which is one of the fastest and catchiest songs on here. “The Brave and the Strong” follows with a hymn like choral intro accompanied by an organ. This song could almost fit onto Freedom Call’s debut, although Olaf’s soloing style is a bit more technically impressive than the melodic leads of the former.

From here on the album gets a bit varied, but never looses its metal edge. “Heart of Steel” is a more mid-paced rocker, but has all the right hooks and riffs to earn it the position of title track for the album, particularly the unforgettable chorus. “S.O.S.” has been the subject of criticism due to its tendency towards a hair metal sound. It is noteworthy to point out that this song was originally composed by Abba, and unless you plan on either putting in ridiculously muddy guitar tracks or garbled black metal vocals, this is how the song will sound regardless to how hard of a rocking version you make out of it. I personally like a few of Abba’s songs, but for those of you who don’t, the skip button is there if you need it.

“Princess of the Night” and “Why do you cry?” are slow paced ballads with poignant lyrics, which are obviously not for everyone. Bear in mind though that these songs contain the same polished neo-classical devices of the faster tracks, as well as the amazing lead guitar work. I for one approve of any band that knows that it is not a good idea to cook through an entire album, which is a common flaw in more recent power metal releases.

“King of your Dreams” and “Don’t you believe a Stranger” see a return to the blazing speed that kicked off this album, as well as the catchy themes and soaring vocal lines. “Goodbye” has a good amount of fast drum work, although the song itself is mid-paced in comparison to much of the rest of the album. It has a solid introduction and some top notch lead guitar playing. The remake of Chopin’s 4th Etude is probably the most impressive work that Olaf has done thus far. Translating a piano work to guitar is often difficult in itself, let alone arranging it for a 5 piece metal band. Although I prefer the remake of Vivaldi’s “Summer” movement of the four seasons on the previous album to this one, it is not by a wide margin.

The version of this CD that I acquired is from Russia, so it contains the bonus track “Eye of the Tiger”, which is otherwise a bonus track on the first album. Suffice to say, this song is not often covered because it is difficult to find a vocalist that can pull it off well. Oliver Hartmann proves himself to be up to the challenge, and actually shoots his voice above the register of the original version, which was already quite high. There are a few changes on this version, mostly in the form of added elaborations in the voice and guitar parts, but for the most part it is a fully faithful homage to a great 80s classic song.

If you like solid power metal in the vain of Freedom Call mixed with some heavy Malmsteen influences, this CD will not disappoint. If I had to compare it to any Rising Force album, it would probably be “Marching Out”, although some of the songs could be compared to more accessible works from the “Odyssey” release. In my own personal view, this band has yet to make a mistake in their attempt to capture the sound they seek, so I proudly give them my endorsement and a perfect score.

Here's a very underrated band in the German power metal scene. Heart of Steel was their second studio effort, released in 2000 and is the best I've got from them (mind you, I've only got this one and 2002's Only Human).
What we have here is pretty much a solid, very melodic album blending traditional and power metal together creating a highly entertaining and enjoyable album. It's generally power metal, but the riffs are occasionally more in the traditional vein, and the lyrics take a slightly different approach from other bands in the genre. The general mood is also somewhere in between the genres.
But most of the other stuff is all there, only not quite as obvious as in, say, Dragonforce. We have the occasional big chorus, double bass attacks (although it is not overused like by many other power metal bands; they use it very tastefully), atmospheric keyboard background effects- although the keys never get very loud but only stay in the background.
The song constructions are generally pretty simple, with vers-chorus patterns (although there are occasional variations), but the mood and speed of the songs is very varied, with everything from the touching power ballad Princess of the Night to the catchy speed metal opening track Soldier of Time.
And each song is executed with excellent musicianship, with sharp, generally fast paced and very catchy riffs and memorable melodic leadwork carrying the songs, solid basslines all through (though the bass pretty low in the mix), and the incredible vocals of Oliver Hartmann. His vocals are usually midranged, but he does it with more strength than many other singers of the same style. Occasionally though, he has a few quite high-pitched moments, but still with the great melodic sense kept. He is a very melodic and emotional singer, and an incredibly strong one at that, suiting the band perfectly.
The drumwork of Jürgen "Sledgehammer" Lucas is decent. He's got some pretty catchy patterns and nice work on the double bass, but he tends to get quite repetitive. So I guess he could be seen as something of a weak link in the otherwise incredible lineup.
First guitarist Olaf Lenk also deserves special mention for his soloing- pretty much each song features mindblowing soloing that rarely have been matched.

While looking at the songwriting, it's a very consistent album, and nothing stands out as being weaker than the rest, except possibly Don't You Believe A Stranger. The lyrics take a step down, simply dealing with the fact that 'evil is coming after you', which feels a bit silly. And with all the excellent, catchy riffwork, the old galloping under-vers riff seems a bit uninventive. It works, but they can do much better- which goes for the song as a whole really.
The rest is just amazing melodic power metal, and the highlights are many.
Earlier mentioned fast-paced opener Soldier of Time rocks. King of Your Dreams features that incredibly Hammerfall-styled speed metal riff and an incredibly memorable chorus. Princess of the Night is one of the greatest ballads ever and also has the best fucking solo on the album. Goodbye - while the first keyboards sound pretty epic and dark - is a very uplifting and catchy tune. Why Do You Cry features the best vocal performance of the album and is generally a very emotional and well-done semi-ballad. It's all amazing stuff really, even the ABBA cover S.O.S. works. And that's saying alot.
The album is closed by a very well executed rendition of the classic piece Chopin/Etüde No.4.

This is very highly recommended, and a killer album that sticks out among the endless crowd of power metal band. The variation in the songwriting, the tasteful use of the double bass, and the original vocals is something many of today's power metal band lacks. But it's all here, and presented in a very good way.