Judgement Day

Lovebites rise yet higher in the power metal firmament

JPU

Japan’s power metal powerhouse upsize the shred

AS ONE OF the most internationally active acts to come out of the J-rock scene, Lovebites have stood out as purveyors of oldschool power metal in Pleaser heels. They’ve sought to channel the most European sound possible, and under the guidance of Finnish mixing/mastering maestros Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila, they’ve undoubtedly found it.

That’s no different on their fourth offering, as is immediately apparent the second We Are The Resurrection kicks in. It’s an all-out shredfest from the get-go, powered by the outrageously talented guitarists, Miyako Watanabe and Midori Tatematsu – a duo with the virtuosity and showmanship to rival Dragonforce’s Sam Totman and Herman Li. With equally talented new bassist Fami, Lovebites have perfected the power metal recipe. Judgement Day is a relentlessly fast-paced ode to the likes of Helloween and Stratovarius (try humming the chorus of Black Diamond over almost any of these songs, and it fits), with ear-shatteringly high harmonised vocals from singer Asami, drums that could induce carpal tunnel syndrome just by listening to them and soaring, triumphant choruses.

What’s perhaps most interesting about Lovebites is how this young band all but reject modernity in order to replicate the sound of NWOBHM and power metal. In many ways, Judgement Day is timeless. The galloping riff in the intro to Wicked Witch could have been written any time between 1980 and today, while standout track Stand And Deliver (Shoot ’Em Down) evokes Girlschool and Warlock. Asami’s final, hair-raising wail of ‘Judgement daaay!’ on the title track would make Doro proud.

Theirs is a curious journey, but they’ve more than proven themselves. With the pace of the album never varying, however, the second half sounds rather samey. Now that they’ve mastered the power metal formula, some divergence from it would be welcome in future.

★★★★★★ ☆☆☆

FOR FANS OF: Helloween, Stratovarius, Dragonforce

CATHERINE MORRIS

NE OBLIVISCARIS

Ne Obliviscaris: still thinking outside the prog metal box

Exul

SE ASON OF MIST

Symphonic prog-death technicians let the melodies fly free

ON PAPER, EXUL, much like every Ne Obliviscaris album before it, looks ready to rampage its way straight into self-indulgence. Quarter-of-an-hour-long songs with jazz basslines, violin solos, nonstop blastbeats and two singers? Sounds like quite the overblown way to announce how far up your own arse your head is, but OK. However, with every statement these progressive/symphonic death metal maximalists blare out, they trim their frills and find more and more breaks for hooks between the marathons of noodling. That, by extension, makes this fourth full-length the most refined and accessible release the Aussies have stamped their name onto.

Granted, the word ‘accessible’ is relative here, considering Exul starts with a 12-minute beast, Equus. And, yes, it smacks you with the usual torrent of lead bass playing, swelling strings and back-and-forth growls and croons. But then an Iron Maiden-bothering guitar solo seamlessly transforms into a harmony and gets hammered home by Tim Charles wailing a gorgeous vocal line underneath. If that doesn’t have you reaching for the repeat button, seek medical attention.