Pharaoh - The Longest Night

*=Staff's pick	Sunrise* I Am The Hammer* In The Violet Fire By The Night Sky* Endlessly The Longest Night Fighting* Like A Ghost Up The Gates Never Run

Genre	Classic American Metal	Tim Aymar	Vocals
Tracks	10	Matt Johnsen	Guitar
Runningtime	53 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Cruz Del Sur Music	Chris Kerns	Bass
Release	27 Feb. 2006	Chris Black	Drums
Country	USA	-	Keyboards
Similar artists	Destiny's End, Onward, Steel Prophet

Now is the time for serious American Metal! After the fire burn which seared my soul from their debut release, Pharaoh return with another total metal classic, fighting their way to the upper echelon, where bands like Destiny's End, Onward and Steel Prophet once reigned. Tim Aymar from Control Denied and Psycho Scream just gels perfectly with guitar wizard Matt Johnsen and the drumming demolition of Chris Black. Both of these patriots of power also write for "Metal Maniacs" Magazine. These metal scholars scavenge the dregs of diversity; therefore, they intuit the message of metal. As Americans, they designate diligence defining their sound of solid steel with adequate awareness of the roots and ramifications in the underground. They acknowledge their influences and with stridency they strike at the heart of the enemy of all things metal. The Longest Night retracts the realm of mettle and might, gloriously hastening a reconversion to the 80's with hints of Omen, Helstar, Oliver Magnum, and Griffin; all the while upholding and retaining the presence and puissance of today's more polished sound. Tim trained with Chuck Schuldiner and was selected by him as his vocalist when Warrel Dane could not commit to the project. This was our lasting legacy before Chuck's untimely departure, leaving us all to expect the unexpected. Concurrently Pharaoh carries on the metal's sovereign solarflight.

Sunrise, the opening track, a solemn eight minute muster, is well selected to invoke and initiate the listener into The Longest Night. The flash of the dark diffuses the incandescence and repudiates the dawn as lyrically this song celebrates nocturnal nuances of necessity. Even Chris Poland visits from Metalopolis to subscribe his shredding solo. Then the next track, I Am the Hammer, hails and kills with the sign of a hammer crumbling my tortured skull. With music and lyrics written by Chris Black echoing the drum snare and rebuke of Randy Black from Primal Fear, this metal hammer just smashes in your face: "As you're losing your way in the night, finding you've run out of life; Death will drive through your head like a spike...'cause I am the hammer!". Deference, but never diffidence is displayed to the age of mastery with ample destruction In the Violent Fire. Tim mimics Harry "Tyrant" Conklin, yet still maintains his own unique vocal verisimilitude; therefore, Pharoah never fall thane to the throne of Jag Panzer.

Many critics claim that Pharaoh are mere Maiden clones. This obligatory obscuration is obtuse, presupposing that Pharaoh have become slovenly slaves to the power of the beast. Evidently, they are influenced by Maiden. After all, who in metal isn't? I also detect an allegiance to Thin Lizzy and Saxon. The track By the Night Sky scripted by Chris Kerns is an ardent retrospect to the band which inspired him to play bass; but there are also some heavy riffs reminiscent to Iced Earth's Something Wicked this Way Comes. This track, and several other Pharaoh songs honor the Egyptians, and forage credence for their namesake. There is also an endlessly overarching constant to this CD which converges with night time temporalities The whole CD is balanced musically and proportioned proficiently. Two tracks, Endlessly and Like a Ghost gear themselves lyrically with the chain breaking the broken heart sindrome of disconsolate intimacy, and the dark night of the soul. It's no wonder they disavow sunrise, as they wallop in misery, consumed by the fragile art of existence, in the violet fire of passion. Pharaoh are forever free from fraudulence and derision as they ascend and skulk like a ghost in the fog. The production is meticulous, and never maladroit by Matt Crooks and the accompanying quartet. Each detail is cautiously discerned to create such an epic masterpiece. An example of this is the song Fighting, which is so fervent with it's furious soloing and lightning leads performed by Matt and guest musician Jim Dofka. The CD closes with an intense instrumental inspired by NWOBHM artists. Pharaoh are not afraid to play what some call dated material. They are forever free! Even though this is just a studio release, I yearn to see them live, if ever they choose to tour someday, as they would receive such accolades and recognition, and never run out of die-hard dedicates. Congratulations for being true mettle...Up the Gates!

Production	Vocals	Compositions
8	9	8

Summary
8,5 chalices of 10 - Michael the MettleAngel