The debut album “War Chant” from Kentucky’s Thunder Tribe is steadfast in its commitment to classic heavy metal and semi-progressive in nature. Vocalist Michael Duncan may be known to others for his work in Shatter Messiah or Pownd- of which both guitarists Ronnie Duncan and Rick Sargent also played in. Nonetheless, the 11 songs on this effort appear well versed in a mid to late 80’s metal style, with blazing guitar chops, strong multi-octave vocals, and a rhythm section that brings the tracks home in a Queensryche meets Black Sabbath along with a Judas Priest/ Triumph twinge.
Highlights include the 6:03 “Part of the Black” where the slower, semi-progressive riff echoes throughout your brain in a classic “Rage for Order” Queensryche way, or the low tuned power of the title cut where Michael really gets a chance to showcase his soaring Geoff Tate meets Rob Halford range and spirit. There are a few times when I feel like the tones and aggressiveness can get a tad too modern or overboard for its own good- “Believe” being the clearest example with some insane bird call screams and speedy verse parts. You can’t deny a lot of the lead breaks are a guitar worshippers dream: scales and arpeggio technique abounds in a shredding display of talent and skill. The band also throw in a tender, acoustic oriented track with “Above the Blue” that still has a little bit of swing in its tempo step, proving that progressive music doesn’t have to be always electric to entertain and gain appreciation.
I think Thunder Tribe has a good platform with their sound to build from, and will get stronger as they get a little bit more seasoning with live shows under their belt. I know plenty of old school fanatics that will love “War Chant”, so I await the follow up to see if their potential can be fully realized.
Matt Coe, HMS
msc2471@comcast.net
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