Steel Attack - Fall Into Madness

*=Staff's pick	Fall into Madness The Beast* Guardians Holy Swordsmen* Judgment Day* Wings of Faith Clearing the Mind* Fireballs* Defender of the Crown

Genre	Power Metal	Steve	Vocals
Tracks	9	John	Guitar
Runningtime	46 Min.	Dennis	Guitar
Label	AFM Records	Steve	Bass
Release	19 March 2001	Andreas	Drums
Country	Sweden	-	Keyboards
Similar artists	Gamma Ray, Running Wild

Fall into Madness is the second full-length studio release from the Swedish power metal quartet in Steel Attack. They have followed up the previous Where Mankind Fails with more maturity and shown that they've grown as a band. So what's new? The tracks and sound are better and above all- the vocals have improved… But more of that later. The traditional Steel Attack sound is still here though and the absence of ballads is a remaining fact. The songs are better and Fall into Madness feels more solid than it's predecessor.

But as you all know, it takes some things for a new band to make a name in this genre. Not only do you have to play well and make good songs, you've also got to have that little extra touch of something that makes you stand out. I must say that Steel Attack has two of those things. One good and one bad I'm afraid. The good one doesn't stop at only "good" though…it's way beyond just good and ends somewhere closer to formidable and magnificent. And this concerns the guitar department, which kicks some serious butt.

The vocals however are another matter…. I can't say that it's terrible but it's very… original. And original in kind of a bad way too. It's not just the monotonous tone, the somewhat special pronunciations and the talk/singin' at times- it's the overall impression. And I have thought very carefully about this and come to the conclusion that the band would be more successful if they signed a deal with a new singer and just let the present one play the bass. Some of you might agree and some of you might not…But that's just commonplace for a reviewer :)

After some time you get used to the voice though and the excellent tempo and good tracks and above all the guitars soon make you fonder of the vocals as you go along. If outstanding guitars and melodies are the most important things when it comes to metal you can buy Fall into Madness unheard- I promise. It's brimming with outstanding intros, verses, choruses, guitar passages and solos. No doubt about that whatsoever!
But if you're more into vocals- my advice here is absolutely to listen before buying.

See also review of: Diabolic Symphony , Enslaved , Predator Of The Empire

Production	Vocals	Compositions
9	5	8

Summary
7,5 chalices of 10 - Mat