MASQUERAGE
“HANGMAN’S REVELATIONS”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

8/10

Masquerage are a power metal band from Finland formed in 2000, releasing a number of demos throughout the early stage of their career, with 2007 the year the bands debut album surfaced. ‘Work-Holic-Fool’ was quickly followed by the bands second album ‘Moonlight Time’ the following year. ‘Backstabber’ is the bands third album and was released in 2012, with their fourth album ‘Breaking The Masks’ a 2016 release. Masquerage will release their fifth album ‘Hangman’s Revelations’ in autumn 2018.

Imagine a “softer” version of German power metallers Helloween, and you will get the idea of the sound of Masquerage. Yes Masquerage deliver “foot on the monitor” style heavy metal, but without the heaviness of Helloween, mainly because Masquerage inject massive doses of the melodic into their songs. Opener ‘Wrapped In Gold’ gallops out of the blocks and romps along at a high tempo, very infectious and catchy with a clean and clear vocal delivery. A lively opening gets more lively as the title song ‘Hangman’s Revelations’ rises into view and strides majestically on. A catchy rhythm and a sing a long able chorus, ‘Hangman’s Revelations’ is smile inducing and an instant like. At fifty five minutes in length with twelve songs, the album is weighty, with every song a blend of power metal and hard rock. ‘Dreams Of Fire’ moves the album toward the hard rock genre and even has the slightest touch of AOR tucked in there too. A real party style anthem, ‘Dreams Of Fire’ is head noddingly addictive and will appeal to fans of both rock and metal.

Upping the tempo and moving into heavy rock territory, ‘Among The Rats’ is a thunderous rumble as it bustles its way forward. Masquerage are showing their prowess at delivering hard hitting heavy rock of the most catchiest and infectious nature. Bringing the tempo down to a power ballad level, ‘Long Lost Memories’ is a much more mellow offering than anything that has gone previously. Marching on, ‘Long Lost Memories’ generates an atmosphere of the epic and dramatic. Too heavy for a lighters in the air experience, ‘Long Lost Memories’ remains one step away from ballad territory. Injecting a massive dose of the feel good factor, ‘No Wolves Here’ is an energetic and lively romp, hinting heavily at the European style of hard rock, similar to bands such as Gotthard and Shakra. ‘Masterman’ picks up the pace and gallops along at a very high tempo. One of the faster paced songs on offer, ‘Masterman’ is out and out heavy metal of the “foot on the monitor” style. Masquerage effortlessly switch from metal to rock and back to metal again, just as if there was no boundary between the two genres. The heavy hitting European hard rock style makes an emphatic return to the album, as ‘Don’t Overstay Your Welcome’ glides in and shakes the ground as it stomps on.

Masquerage are delivering a very good rock and metal album, full of energy and bombast, and no ballads in sight… ‘Sunken Day’ is a swashbuckling swagger of blues infused riffage and a heavy Southern Rock influence. Very heavy hitting and bold, ‘Sunken Day’ is highly addictive and will leave a permanent impression in your mind, such is its infectiousness. ‘The Dark So Deep’ brings the hard rock/AOR crossover vibe back to the album as it moves swiftly through the soft rock genre, well actually, maybe, it’s a little too heavy to be called soft rock, but that’s the feel I got when listening to it… ‘Weekend Warrior’ is a song by British stalwarts Iron Maiden from their 1992 album ‘Fear Of The Dark’, and song eleven on this album is ‘Weekend Warrior’ . . . have Masquerage covered a song by one of the greatest heavy metal bands ever? No, is the simple answer, their ‘Weekend Warrior’ is an up tempo, “foot on the monitor” style romp, energetic and lively, with a sing a long style chorus. Masquerage bring the curtain down on their fifth album with the heavy foot stomping and catchy ‘Savages’. And I have to admit to being a little surprised, but also very pleased, that a modern day power metal album has drifted by in fifty five minutes with twelve songs and not one a ballad…!

Overall, a rocking and rolling rollercoaster ride of metal and rock, leaning toward the lighter end of the European power metal genre.

TRACKLIST

Wrapped In Gold
Hangman’s Revelations
Dreams Of Fire
Among The Rats
Long Lost Memories
No Wolves Here
Masterman
Don’t Overstay Your Welcome
Sunken Day
The Dark So Deep
Weekend Warrior
Savages

https://www.reverbnation.com/masquerage
https://www.facebook.com/masquerage.official/

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