VARIOUS ARTISTS
"Arnhem
TrolleyMetaal" (Trolleypop; 2003)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
According to the liner notes, "Arnhem TrolleyMetaal" is an extension of Trolleypop, a project designed to promote bands from the Arnhem, Netherlands underground scene. The end result does just that, featuring four bands of varying types of heavy metal displaying their ware.
First up are three songs by Non-Divine, a progressive metal band whose demo got a great review here a couple of years ago (click here to read it). Although roughly produced, the band's unique talent for songwriting is made very clear here.
Next are three songs by Mortal Form, a more extreme band that sounds a little like Cradle of Filth.
The next two songs are by Morgana-X, also well-reviewed on this site (click here to read it), a band who combine thundering tempos with progressive metal. The result is a rich listening experience.
The CD finishes up with three songs by Thronar, a band that - if judged only on their appearance in the CD insert - appear to be emulators of Manowar. Like the previous bands, however, Thronar is surprisingly progressive, although they still earn their power metal description with epic songs and sound. They're a little like Manowar, a little like (again) Cradle of Filth, but a lot like In Extremo ... and that's not a bad thing.
As an introduction to these four bands, "Arnhem TrolleyMetaal" does pretty well. It will certainly give you enough of a taste of each band to discover whether you want to hear more. I'm betting, as are the folks at Trolleypop, that you will.
For more information, check out http://www.goudvishal.nl/trolleymetaal.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the
cover makes you wanna hurl.
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Copyright © 2003 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 14 Jun 2020 15:11:01 -0400.
