AEONBLACK
“The Time Will Come”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Aeonblack are a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2003, releasing their self titled debut E.P. in 2007. The bands first full length album ‘Metal Bound’ was released in 2015, with their sophomore album ‘The Time Will Come’ emerging in 2021.

Germany and heavy metal have such an incredible relationship, with many of the worlds greatest bands emerging from there. Germany are also arguably the creators of power metal, with the legendary Accept seen as the genres pioneer. And when you combine the two styles, you get bands such as Aeonblack – a hard driving band with influences of both the German and British styles of metal. This is pure fucking heavy metal, this is Aeonblack, and this is their barnstorming new album ‘The Time Will Come’ – exploding into life with the fast and furious ‘Specter In Black’. Racing along with the fury of a bull to a red rag, ‘Specter In Black’ is a thundering slab of traditional, “foot on the monitor” heavy metal. The intense pace and feel of the albums opener is not lost with the second song – ‘I Won’t Think About Tomorrow’ increasing the power metal feel. Aeonblack have amazed with the opening two songs, emphatically setting their stall out to deliver fast and highly infectious heavy metal. The two minute instrumental ‘1999 Annihilation Overture’ is an effects laden and tension filled journey of atmospheric intrigue…

…leading straight into the albums title song ‘The Time Will Come’. Slowing the pace to a Black Sabbath doom style heaviness, Aeonblack effortlessly drop a gear, romping along at a mid tempo plod. But incredibly, the intensity has not been lost, with ‘The Time Will Come’ very much a loud, proud, and in your face song. Switching gears again, Aeonblack pick up the speed with ‘Warriors Call’, proceeding to batter the senses with an avalanche of savage riffery – jack hammering their way through the chorus break. And for the first time the album breaks free from the bruising heavy metal assault, and enters, ahem, power ballad territory… Regular readers will know my distaste for ballads on metal albums – they should appear only on rock albums! But as always, there are exceptions – Iron Maiden’s ‘Wasting Love’ (off their 1992 album ‘Fear Of The Dark’), anything from Iron Savior, and anything from the band that can do no wrong, power metal legends Rage. As for Aeonblack and their power ballad offering ‘No Man’s Land’ – it’s a bit like Iron Maiden’s ‘Coming Home’ (from the bands 2010 album ‘The Final Frontier’), both passion fuelled, war themed stories of high emotion. By all means raise your lighters, sway from side to side, and get lost in the moment, but also appreciate the bands versatility to bring you such a heart stopping moment. But as soon as the strains of ‘No Man’s Land’ have faded, it’s back to ground shuddering heavy metal with the scorching ‘The Phantom Of Pain’. Delivering a Judas Priest style power gallop, Aeonblack storm through riff after riff, delighting the senses with an aural barrage of unabashed heavy metal.

Fans of traditional heavy metal are gonna lap this album up…the glorious sound of bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Anvil, blended into the Aeonblack signature sound. Slowing the pace once more to a doom metal/power metal combination, ‘Nightwalker’ is a thunderous slab of foot stomping anthemic metal, very much in the vein of Manowar and Saxon. The expectation of a song with the title ‘Fire Wheels’, is of a lightning quick head banger – and you wouldn’t be far wrong! For ‘Fire Wheels’ is a blistering barrage of infectious heavy metal that ignites the senses, sending pulse rates racing and heart beats quickening. The penultimate song ‘Raw, Loud & Furious’ is perhaps a description of Aeonblack, or just a statement of intent. Either way, ‘Raw, Loud & Furious’ is exactly what it says – a raw, loud, and furious march of unadulterated “foot on the monitor” rabble rousing heavy metal. And to the final song, ‘When The Darkness Falls’ – a final flourish of fast paced heavy metal to head bang furiously to. ‘When The Darkness Falls’ is a glorious end to a glorious album.

Overall, a fast paced and furious barrage of heavy metal, highly infectious, overly energetic, and head bangingly addictive.

TRACKLIST

Specter In Black
I Won’t Think About Tomorrow
1999 Annihilation Overture
The Time Will Come
Warriors Call
No Man’s Land
The Phantom Of Pain
Nightwalker
Fire Wheels
Raw, Loud & Furious
When The Darkness Falls

https://www.aeonblack.de/
https://www.facebook.com/AEONBLACK-140787565995220

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