Reverence - When Darkness Calls

Reverence When Darkness Calls cover
Reverence
When Darkness Calls
Razar Ice Records
2012
8.5
I bet that when someone hears about a new metal super-group their mind goes to ill-fated releases by some really hot metal names. It’s true that I don’t have the best opinion about the so called super-groups, either. But before we throw all efforts to the recycle bin we must first hear what they have to say. That was the case with Reverence. I approached them with caution at first but then I was floored by the musicianship and the metal quality of the album.
 
Reverence originally started out in Detroit, in 2010 and consists of the vocalist Todd Michael Hall (Jack Starr's Burning Starr), the guitarist Bryan Holland (Tokyo Blade, Arrest), the drummer Steve ‘Dr. Killdrums’ Wacholz (Savatage, Crimson Glory), the guitarist Pete Rossi (Sanxtion, Overland) and the bassist Ned Meloni (Jack Starr’s Burning Starr, Funny Money). What do ya say ‘bout it? Amazing line-up indeed.
 
Hence, what about the music? “When Darkness Calls” is full of US power metal right from the heart of the late 80s-early 90s but with an updated sound & a few European metal touches as well. Apparitions of Metal Church, Titan Force, Savatage, Queensryche, Vicious Rumors, Crimson Glory, Burning Starr, Jag Panzer, Judas Priest inter alia, will cross your mind while listening to this album. Heavy riffs, solid as f@ck rhythm section, metal themes that will make your head bang along with some amazing soaring vocals by Todd. The production is edgy, vigorous & strong but luckily not over-polished or over-compressed. The album was recorded at Metro 37 Studios, mixed and mastered at Sight 16 Studios (Tokyo Blade, TwoThirtySeven, Paris Blue, Coldsnap) in Albuquerque, New Mexico and produced by Sid Garcia (Last House on the Left, Left Brain, Tokyo Blade).

Probably a little bit “traditional”, at times, for several younger metal fans, this album has been done with lots of passion & assertiveness by all the members and that’s something that will gratify the “older ones”. In actual fact, this album gets better with every listen, meaning that has a musical depth indeed other than various splendid ideas here & there. “When Darkness Calls” is, without any doubt, a damn great US power metal album come what may. If you revel in heavy/power metal music then do not bypass this release…