Heavatar – Opus I: All My Kingdoms

Published March 04 2013

*=Staff's pick	Replica Abracadabra All My Kingdoms* Elysium At Dawn* Long Way Home Born To Fly* Luna! Luna! The Look Above* To The Metal

Genre	Power/Heavy Metal	Stefan Schmidt	Vocals
Tracks	9	Stefan Schmidt	Guitar
Running time	48 Min.	Sebastian Scharf	Guitar
Label	Napalm Records	David Vogt	Bass
Release	22 February 2013	Jörg Michael	Drums
Country	Germany	-	Keyboard
Producer	Stefan Schmidt with Heavatar
Similar artists	---

Rather powerful metal from the new project of Van Canto’s Stefan Schmidt. On his side former Stratovarius drummer Jörg Michael shows that he still can handle his duties. Each song has elements or something borrowed from the great classic composers and also plenty of stuff similar to fellow Germans Blind Guardian, with epic and grandiose quires and some of the songs’ build-ups.

The songs are good all through. Heavy and speedy and this without sounding like every band that fit the description, thirteen on a dozen. The album is also produced with an intension to not sound like random weak and powerless band in the power metal ranks. The much borrowed / stolen leads find their ways to an almost perfect match. It’s captivating with cool riffs and a drumplay in my taste, meaning heavy and rolling with a steady flow. Schmidt’s voice is far from flawless, but well suited to this music, even if he sounds like the nowadays James Hetfield of Metallica occasionally.

Many songs, like for instance Born To Fly, are driving and impulsive and much to my liking. The album’s last song is a tribute to metal and I still haven’t figured out if this song is for real or just a derision to our very own blindfolded community. Inspired by Gammy Ray’s Kai Hansen, intentionally or not. Anyway, I like this song that totally differs from the rest. The eleven minute opus, The Look Above, the title track and Elysium At Dawn make me pay extra attention, even though the more I listen to this release, the harder it gets to pick just a few favorite songs. New, fresh and rather modern European metal.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
8	7	7	7	8

Summary
8 chalices of 10 - Tobbe