Oathbringer - Tales of Valor Review

Oathbringer’s “Tales of Valor” commences with a mysterious keyboard intro to then introduce some fiercy guitars and some vocals with lots of personality. Hum, could an album start any better? Well, maybe. I don’t know, but it’s always possible. One way or another, it’s always great when an album commences so promising as this one does.

“Tales of Valor” brings the fan a fresh approach of the 1990’s Heavy Metal that Gamma Ray and Primal Fear made known. To be really fair with my quoting, I guess the blame goes to 1990’s Judas Priest’s “Painkiller” and its fresh approach to Old School Heavy Metal. Yeah, I know 1990 doesn’t belong to the 1990’s but whatever, you got my point. To some extent, from where I’m standing drummer Scott Travis was the responsable for most of the new approach. His use of the bass drums and the cymbals made it possible to make Judas Priest’s music even more aggressive. The way I see it guitars followed them with harsher tones and heavier riffings as a wrapping to the violent drumming. Of course, you may always disagree.

Alright, that’s what my dear child of the night will find here with “Tales of Valor.” An album whose influences rely strongly on Judas Priest’s “Painkiller” era. “Morgoth,” the album warmer, delivers the fan that feeling of being home with some comfortable features. Vocalist Priestkiller brightens the day, and the album, with a very personal voice that sticks to the music perfectly. I’ve been missing that kind of vocalist around Metal music for a while. The dude does everything he wants with his vocal chords from the harsher parts of the beginnig of the song until the break by the end. A very well-designed song, if I may. Then comes “Hall of the Slain” with a initial more grooving guitar riffing that goes melodic at the end. The kind of song the fan doesn’t know where it goes due to the hundreds of changes of mood. Add to that a catchy chorus and voilà the song is done. “Arakis,” on the other hand, relies on a strong guitar riff and melodic vocals to contrast with them. The guitars go harsher here like some mesmerizing catchy tune. It feels a lot like Judas Priest. The twin guitars steal the show here with very melodic and catchy interventions. The spirit of the 1980’s is brought back by the guitar riffs of “Holy War” plus, again, the catchy chorus which, by the way, is becoming the stapler of Oathbringer. Very promising album so far.

Here we’ve got a band that honestly inspired themselves on the good old Judas Priest’s “Painkiller” era. That doesn’t mean Oathbringer don’t have a personallity. No, sir. If it were my band, I would be honored to be compared to the Priest. For the band’s sake, vocals add a lot of personality to the album. It means a lot these days.

Oathbringer’s “Tales of Valor” was released on January 12th via RTR Records.

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