Kings Under the Sand

A solid test of the longevity of any musical movement is a diversity of sound between its various proponents, and much like that of the NWOBHM that originally took the world by storm some four decades ago, its revival in the internationally defined New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal has no shortage of bands staking out a number of divergent expressions. Of particular interest of late has been a number of highly primitive-based outfits that have been planting their flag on a more epic mode of old school metallic fury, though the newly hatched Bavarian quintet Pulver finds themselves in a fairly curious niche that combines a doom-like brand of early 80s heavy metal, one that is more readily associated with the swords and sorcery of Conan The Barbarian, with a semi-original Sci-Fi concept somewhat reminiscent of the Egyptian craze that enveloped the power and progressive metal scenes of the late 90s and early 2000s thanks to the commercial success of the Stargate film. It might come off as a bit campy, but this band and their debut outing Kings Under The Sand offer up the notion that the Egyptian pantheon could have been based on a race of anthropomorphic avian warriors known as Phantom Hawks, with a rustic, 1981 metallic stride as their theme music.

Being of German extraction, there is naturally a fair degree of Accept influence upon this band's sound, but the occasional references to I'm A Rebel and Breaker give way to something a bit more nuanced and in line with the old British sound. Forsaking the sort of syrupy clean vocal presentation that was fairly common in the early 80s, vocalist Dave Fröhlich sports a highly raspy and rugged growl that exists halfway between Algy Ward and Lemmy Kilmister, only occasionally shrieking above a mid-ranged gruff and even then coming off as jagged and cigarette-steeped as possible. The band has obviously been quite forthcoming about their affinity for the seminal offerings of both Tank and Accept, though truth be told, the music has far more in common with the muddy doom-infused character of American pioneers Cirith Ungol with some traces of early Manilla Road and even the folksy musings of Slough Feg. The resulting music is of a slower to mid-paced character, yet apart from that and the generally simplistic character of the songwriting, it tends to shy away from overt Black Sabbath emulation in favor of a sound that's a bit less overtly bluesy, yet not quite elaborate and animated enough to fully jump into Iron Maiden territory.

Everything about this album screams organic, as the fancy bells and whistles normally painting over a heavy metal album of even the old school variety are forsaken for something far more to the point. Despite not really emulating the impact-based, showy side of Iron Maiden, one can't help but hear a sludgier, more rustic reinterpretation of "The Ides Of March" in the droning instrumental intro "Rising", nor can comparison to the famed White Spirit rocker "Midnight Chaser" that would be the basis for "Two Minutes To Midnight" be ignored when hearing the driving feel of opening anthem "Phantom Hawk". Even on the more animated parts of this largely slower paced album such as the aforementioned cruiser and the longer-running title song "Kings Under The Sand", things have a markedly loose and rocking feel that when coupled with a humbler guitar display, gives off a mystic vibe that befits the visual of a vast desert with pyramids in the distance even without the stereotypical Mid-Eastern tonality to go along with it. And while the presentation of the guitars is generally primitive in demeanor, some well-placed harmony lines and a generally melodic tone to the lead work gives it a sense of richness that turns otherwise primitive rock odes like "Qarinah" and "Warrior Caste" into epic musical journeys.

While this Teutonic outfit may not be winning any awards for the most shred-happy guitar work or the most windows being shattered by a relentless air-raid siren display, all of the right elements are in place for a solid throwback experience that makes no secrets of its target audience. Expectations might be for something along the lines of Maiden's Powerslave given the visuals sported on this offering's exterior, but the reality is something that's a bit tame in the tempo and technical department even by the standards of Killers. Pulver's recent adoption by the old school Italian label Gates Of Hell Records, known for taking on the likes of TIR, Skelator and Iron Griffin, is a fitting one given the similarly primitive vibe that is accomplished, and it naturally goes without saying at this point that any fans of said bands will find more of what they crave on this album. Some pharaohs comes decked out in all kinds of elaborate robes and crowns, but this particular dynasty definitely takes a less ornate road in ruling over the land surrounding the Nile.