CLOVEN ALTAR
”Demon Of The Night”
(Stormspell Records)
Battle Helm Rating
Just the notion of a new US metal album gets my heart pumping a bit extra. There is something special about a really well done US metal record that you’ll find nowhere else. I have had plenty of great memories from listening to US metal the past 35 years. And this album by CLOVEN ALTAR promises to be another stomper. One thing I do react to every time is how formulaic heavy metal is. Not that I complain. That is what makes it great but it is when a band steps out, even if just a little bit, from the formula that great things happen. CLOVEN ALTAR are very traditional in sound. They do not stray too far. And that is a good thing. But they do not have that extra that gives them an edge over the rest. Despite that I still find myself enjoying this. This brings up all kinds of nice memories of listening to metal for 35 years. I hear all kinds of stuff in this, like Hammerfall, all kinds of German power metal bands, old NWOBHM. This made me happy. Anders Ekdahl
