Paladine – Entering The Abyss Review

Funny thing to think that the band name can tell its genre. Actually, this is true. Band names tell a lot about the band and mostly about their genre. When one thinks of Paladine the first thing that comes to mind is that we’re talking about a Heavy Metal band, or at least, a Power Metal. Bulls eye! The Paladine we have here today is a Heavy/Power Metal band strongly rooted in the 1980s. So, as I said in the previous reviews, sometimes recording companies do an effort to release bands from the same style in the same day. The first influence that comes to mind while listing to “Entering The Abyss” is Yngwie Malmesteen’s Rising Force from Jeff Scott Soto’s era. Ok, it wouldn’t be wrong to think that way because Paladine do have great influences of them. Pay attention to the drumming. It can tell it better due to the use of double kick bass drum technique all the time as Stefan Johansson’s touches.

“Entering The Abyss” explores an existing, and very promising, nichè inside Metal music. Paladine know that and their really music touches the hearts of many fans all around the world as does this kind of Metal. Because, of that, in a way, the album is a bit monolithic mostly because of the aforementioned use of Stefan Johansson’s double kick bass drum technique all the time. By the way, when I say Stefan Johansson’s double kick bass drum technique I don’t want to mean that he created the technique. He didn’t, however he was one of the most enthusistic users of it as the fan can tell by his recordings with Yngwie Malmesteen’s Rising Force. Paladine do the same here. For the fan that appreciates it is a spoonful. For the ones that don’t the pounding gives a headache – hehehehehehe. But, for instance, the mix gets real interesting in “Hourglass in the Sky” where vocalist Nick Protonotarios roughers the voice and gives a powerful mood to the song. The same happens to “Brother against Brother” where the guitar riffing gets faster with a common but effective riffing comes into scene. Guitar squeaks are also abundant in the track giving it a very peculiar, and different to the album, sonancy. It’s the track where neoclassical influences get stronger.

In the mood for some Heavy/Power Metal? Here you have Paladine “Entering the Abyss” to fulfill your desire.

Track Listing:

  1. Raistlin’s Ambition
  2. War of the Lance
  3. Between Gods And Men
  4. Mighty Heart
  5. Entering the Abyss
  6. Darkness and Light
  7. Hourglass in the Sky
  8. Brother against Brother
  9. Sacrifice of a Hero
  10. The Return
  11. River of Souls

Watch “Entering the Abyss” official lyric video here: