I will start this out by saying that I really like Lair of the Minotaur. Their combination of thrash metal and sludgy doom is definitely distinctive and is often very well-done. Their songs are catchy, fast, and though cheesy, very entertaining.You can feel the "but" coming can't you?
BUT (there it is), this album is a bit of a letdown for me. It just feels like they lost something. Maybe it's because War Metal Battle Master was such an impressive album that LotM could not possibly live up to it on their very next album. I am not really sure what the reason is. I just know that this album does not grab me like their earlier material.
The songs are a bit too simple on here, with only four songs longer than three minutes, compared to their earlier stuff. Sure this means that songs do not meander endlessly, but it also means that once the song really starts feeling good, it's over. I think the punk influences kind of took over this album in that respect.
The other components of the band's sound are all here, the brash vocal style, the heavy thrash riffs, and the metal cliche-ridden lyrics. This is still definitely a fun album and Lair of the Minotaur is still one of my favorite newer bands. I guess most bands have a bit of a letdown somewhere in their catalog. Let's hope that this is not the start of a downward trend.
I heard this album before I heard WMBM, and I have to say, I couldn't decide which one I like better. WMBM feels like they're getting ready for a fight, or they're in a fight, and it's exciting. Evil Power is more fun, and feels like a celebration of victory. I like them both equally for slightly different reasons.
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