The follow-up to last year’s highly enjoyable ‘This Is Not A Drill’, Metal Majesty is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Valensia - he of the big Queen fixation. But on this album he seems to have been listening a lot to Whitesnake’s ‘1987’ and ‘Slip Of The Tongue’ albums, especially in the guitar playing and styling. In fact on ‘We Rocked’ it sounds uncannily like Whitesnake’s ‘Bad Boys’ right down to the wolf howls!

‘Hold On To The Night’ could easily have been lifted of ‘1987’ with its clean guitar riffs and Coverdale like vocal delivery. The fact that it sounds so much like Whitesnake is the album’s downfall in parts as it doesn’t have its own real musical identity, mind you I love those two Whitesnake albums and after repeated plays ‘2005’ grows on you.

Production wise it is very polished with those trademark layered harmonies firmly in place and plenty of guitar soloing throughout.

Sadly not as strong as last year’s Metal Majesty album but worth a listen nonetheless and it does grow on you with each playing.

***

Review by Jason Ritchie

Label website

***** Out of this world | **** Pretty damn fine |
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan |
** Instant bargain bin fodder | * Ugly. Just ugly