┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Heavatar - Opus II-The Annihilation-(0212618EMU) + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Feb-28-2018 Encoder......L3.98.4 -V0 --lowpas ║ │ │║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2018 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........12 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.heavatar.net ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Heavatar Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Opus II-The Annihilation-(0212Label : Ear Music ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Usually going into a new year, I have a pretty ║ │ │║ good idea of what bands will be in contention ║ │ │║ for my album of the year, but it seems every few ║ │ │║ years IÆm thrown a curve ball and a band I would ║ │ │║ have never even thought of comes out and ║ │ │║ completely blows me away, leaving more ║ │ │║ anticipated albums far behind them. Obviously, ║ │ │║ itÆs way too early in the year to tell if thatÆs ║ │ │║ how things will work out in 2018, but going into ║ │ │║ the year if anyone were to have told me that ║ │ │║ after a month my top album for the year would ║ │ │║ come from German power metal band Heavatar, I ║ │ │║ likely would have shook my head and said ônot in ║ │ │║ a million yearsö, but somehow thatÆs exactly ║ │ │║ what happened. Heavatar was formed in 2012 by ║ │ │║ Stefan Schmidt, the mastermind behind a capella ║ │ │║ metal band Van Canto, who I happen to be quite a ║ │ │║ big fan of, so naturally when I heard one of ║ │ │║ their members was starting a new band, with a ║ │ │║ full metal sound, as well as some added ║ │ │║ classical music influence, I was excited. For ║ │ │║ whatever reason, though, Opus I: All My Kingdoms ║ │ │║ never really grabbed me, aside from a couple ║ │ │║ standout tracks, and I quickly forgot about the ║ │ │║ band. TheyÆre now set to release Opus II: The ║ │ │║ Annihilation, an album which wasnÆt even on my ║ │ │║ radar just a few weeks ago, and yet surprisingly ║ │ │║ enough it completely blew me away on my first ║ │ │║ listen, and has only grown on me more ever ║ │ │║ since, emerging as an early year favorite to ║ │ │║ possibly end up as my 2018 album of the year. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Stylistically, not much has changed on this ║ │ │║ album, as the band still plays an aggressive, ║ │ │║ guitar-driven brand of power metal, with a ton ║ │ │║ of classical melodies thrown in for extra ║ │ │║ flavor. As with Opus I, there are plenty of ║ │ │║ sections which clearly take classical pieces and ║ │ │║ create metal versions of them, with the likes of ║ │ │║ Puccini, Chopin, and Beethoven being cited as ║ │ │║ influences for some of the tracks. Sometimes ║ │ │║ these classical pieces are easy to recognize, ║ │ │║ such as on the title track and ôInto Doomö, ║ │ │║ while on other tracks the classical influence is ║ │ │║ a lot more subtle, but itÆs definitely there ║ │ │║ throughout the album. Honestly, itÆs tough for ║ │ │║ me to pin down exactly why this album works for ║ │ │║ me in ways the debut didnÆt, but I guess what it ║ │ │║ comes down to is more consistent, at times more ║ │ │║ adventurous songwriting, and the fact that the ║ │ │║ music constantly strikes a perfect balance, both ║ │ │║ between heaviness and melody, and also between ║ │ │║ being blazing fast at times, and slowing down to ║ │ │║ a more relaxing pace at other times. Many tracks ║ │ │║ go through tempo changes, especially during the ║ │ │║ four-part suite that closes the album, and I ║ │ │║ find overall the songs deliver everything I ║ │ │║ could ask for as a power metal fan, offering ║ │ │║ some awesome guitar riffs throughout, as well as ║ │ │║ big choruses on every track, huge, epic vocal ║ │ │║ melodies, plenty of great solos, which are often ║ │ │║ the points where the classical influence comes ║ │ │║ in, as well as a ton of other surprises. There ║ │ │║ simply isnÆt a single dull moment on the entire ║ │ │║ album, where I found the debut to be very ║ │ │║ inconsistent. Obviously, the production is top ║ │ │║ notch, and the musicianship is great, with ║ │ │║ excellent guitar work from Stefan Schmidt and ║ │ │║ Sebastian Scharf, while former Stratovarius ║ │ │║ drummer J÷rg Michael is explosive and exciting ║ │ │║ as always. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ For some reason, I didnÆt like StefanÆs vocals ║ │ │║ too much when I first listened to Opus I, but ║ │ │║ his voice has grown me a lot since then, and he ║ │ │║ has certainly delivered a strong performance on ║ │ │║ this album. He has a very deep and powerful ║ │ │║ voice that fits the music well, especially ║ │ │║ during the heavier sections and he can be very ║ │ │║ intense and animated at times, sometimes coming ║ │ │║ pretty close to using death growls, and his ║ │ │║ vocals add extra intensity to some already ║ │ │║ energetic and heavy tracks. Obviously, coming ║ │ │║ from an a capella band, heÆs a great singer all ║ │ │║ around, though, so he can also sing very ║ │ │║ smoothly during calmer sections, which there are ║ │ │║ a ton of, especially in the second half of the ║ │ │║ album.s ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ My biggest area of contention with Opus I was ║ │ │║ the songwriting, but thankfully this time around ║ │ │║ the band has delivered nothing but excellent ║ │ │║ music from start to finish. ThereÆs nothing that ║ │ │║ clearly sticks out in a bad way like the ║ │ │║ acoustic ôTo the Metalö, and there are certainly ║ │ │║ many tracks that surpass even the best track on ║ │ │║ that album, the 11-minute epic ôThe Look Aboveö. ║ │ │║ Starting things off is ôNone Shall Sleepö, an ║ │ │║ absolutely stunning opening track that ║ │ │║ immediately had me collecting my jaw off the ║ │ │║ floor the first time I heard it. It opens with a ║ │ │║ brief keyboard section, before quickly giving ║ │ │║ way to some pummeling riffs that lead the way ║ │ │║ through the verses, which move by at a breakneck ║ │ │║ pace and bring a ton of energy, and then the ║ │ │║ chorus appears and is equal parts catchy, ║ │ │║ melodic, epic and just plain awesome. The best ║ │ │║ part, though, comes in the second half, with an ║ │ │║ excellent and very melodic guitar solo followed ║ │ │║ up by a classically influenced vocal section ║ │ │║ that is simply stunning and lifts the track to ║ │ │║ all new heights. All in all, this track is ║ │ │║ easily the best power metal track IÆve heard so ║ │ │║ far in 2018, and I wonÆt be surprised if it goes ║ │ │║ down as my favorite even at the end of the year, ║ │ │║ as it not only delivers everything I want from ║ │ │║ the genre, but it goes the extra mile with that ║ │ │║ one choral section to completely blow me away. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ While that opening track is tough to match, the ║ │ │║ rest of the album certainly leaves nothing ║ │ │║ behind. Next is ôInto Doomö, another fast-paced ║ │ │║ track, which has more of a classic power metal ║ │ │║ sound, compared to the somewhat thrashy riffs of ║ │ │║ the opener. ItÆs certainly still a heavy hitter, ║ │ │║ though, and it again has some huge classically ║ │ │║ influenced melodies throughout, as well as a ║ │ │║ blazing fast and super addictive chorus. Stefan ║ │ │║ changes things up during the verses with a soft ║ │ │║ and extra deep delivery, which works great. The ║ │ │║ big classical melody of the track comes in ║ │ │║ during the solo section in the middle and is ║ │ │║ both very obvious and quite awesome. After that ║ │ │║ is ôPurpose of a Virgin Mindö, one of the tracks ║ │ │║ where I donÆt notice the classical influence as ║ │ │║ obviously, but itÆs certainly still an awesome ║ │ │║ track. ItÆs another up-tempo track, though ║ │ │║ slightly slower than the first two, with slow, ║ │ │║ but hard hitting verses with some great riffs, ║ │ │║ though it has some nice melodic leads, as well ║ │ │║ as one of the biggest and most melodic choruses ║ │ │║ on the album. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The first slower track of the album is the ║ │ │║ hilariously named ôHijacked by Unicornsö, which ║ │ │║ has some great lead riffs and some fun vocals ║ │ │║ during the verses, but itÆs the chorus where the ║ │ │║ song really picks up, as the vocal melodies are ║ │ │║ excellent, the tune is super catchy and the ║ │ │║ lyrics are every bit as amusing as the name ║ │ │║ would suggest. ItÆs another track where the ║ │ │║ classical influences are quite easy to spot, ║ │ │║ coming in during the solo section later on, and ║ │ │║ itÆs quite the fun track overall. After that is ║ │ │║ the title track, where the opening has a ║ │ │║ classical reference that is just as obvious as ║ │ │║ the one on ôReplicaö from Opus I, and itÆs ║ │ │║ another heavy hitter, moving at a rather slow ║ │ │║ pace early on before picking up the pace in a ║ │ │║ big way, leading to an explosive and very epic ║ │ │║ chorus. Stefan comes very close to death growls ║ │ │║ later on in the track, and the choral section ║ │ │║ that follows is amazing, as is the guitar solo ║ │ │║ after that. The last normal song on the album is ║ │ │║ ôWake Up Nowö, a mid-paced track and yet another ║ │ │║ heavy hitter, with slow but fun verses, ║ │ │║ excellent riffs throughout and yet another huge ║ │ │║ and super catchy chorus. This track changes ║ │ │║ things up a bit in the middle, with an epic ║ │ │║ keyboard solo, before the expected guitar solo, ║ │ │║ which is great as always. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ After six amazing tracks, the band decided to go ║ │ │║ extra big for the grand finale, delivering a ║ │ │║ near 14-minute four-part suite, divided into ║ │ │║ four separate tracks. ThereÆs a lot of ideas ║ │ │║ throughout the four tracks, but thereÆs one ║ │ │║ chorus that constantly shows up throughout, used ║ │ │║ in various forms, and itÆs a very memorable one. ║ │ │║ Each part sounds different, though one thing ║ │ │║ that is constant is the use of symphonic ║ │ │║ elements, which help make the music even more ║ │ │║ epic and compared to the rest of the album these ║ │ │║ tracks are much more melodic and more complex. ║ │ │║ The opening part ôA Broken Tabooö in particular ║ │ │║ goes through many tempo changes, and is quite ║ │ │║ the treat, introducing the main chorus in a big ║ │ │║ way, while also surprising me with some great ║ │ │║ female vocals, which appear later on, before ║ │ │║ again appearing briefly on the second part ôAn ║ │ │║ Awakeningö, which is a more relaxed and melodic ║ │ │║ track, with some nice folk melodies. ItÆs ║ │ │║ definitely the closest the album comes to having ║ │ │║ a ballad, and itÆs a very beautiful track. The ║ │ │║ most explosive section of the suite is ôA Battle ║ │ │║ Against All Hopeö, an epic, super speedy ║ │ │║ symphonic power metal track, which has some of ║ │ │║ the heavy riffs found on the first six tracks ║ │ │║ and it again moves at a breakneck pace and ║ │ │║ delivers a huge chorus, except this time the ║ │ │║ epic feeling is enhanced by the symphonic ║ │ │║ elements. I love all four parts of the suite, ║ │ │║ but this track is easily my favorite. Lastly, we ║ │ │║ have ôA Look Insideö, which mostly serves as a ║ │ │║ softer, slower reprise of ôA Broken Tabooö, and ║ │ │║ itÆs a very nice ending to the main portion of ║ │ │║ the album. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ There are two extra tracks here, the first being ║ │ │║ a cover of the Manowar classic ôMetal Dazeö, ║ │ │║ which is a very faithful recreation of the ║ │ │║ track, with a much better-sounding production ║ │ │║ than the original, while still hitting much ║ │ │║ harder and having more energy to it than ║ │ │║ ManowarÆs own recording from Battle Hymns MMXI. ║ │ │║ Stefan uses some very over the top falsetto ║ │ │║ vocals at points, which are very cool, and itÆs ║ │ │║ definitely a fun cover overall. One other bonus ║ │ │║ is ôThe Look Inside (Orchestral Versionö, which ║ │ │║ is an instrumental version of the four-part ║ │ │║ suite, and while I obviously prefer hearing it ║ │ │║ with vocals, this version is quite good on its ║ │ │║ own, and itÆs nice to have the whole thing on ║ │ │║ one track, which is perhaps the only thing I ║ │ │║ would have changed about the main version. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Overall, Opus II: The Annihilation is a huge ║ │ │║ surprise for me, as I didnÆt care much for Opus ║ │ │║ I at all, but somehow Heavatar has really ║ │ │║ stepped up their game, offering some amazing and ║ │ │║ aggressive classically influenced power metal ║ │ │║ songs, which give me everything I could possibly ║ │ │║ ask for from the genre, while also managing to ║ │ │║ surprise me several times along the way. ║ │ │║ Obviously, fans of the bandÆs debut need to hear ║ │ │║ this, and IÆd highly recommend it to any power ║ │ │║ metal fan looking for something just a bit ║ │ │║ different, as well as to any metal fan who wants ║ │ │║ to hear something with a classical influence, ║ │ │║ without being overly symphonic or using operatic ║ │ │║ vocals. A huge surprise, for sure, and while ║ │ │║ itÆs still early in the year, I wonÆt be ║ │ │║ surprised if this ends up being one of my top ║ │ │║ five albums by the end of 2018, if not even my ║ │ │║ absolute favorite. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Review written by Travis Green for ║ │ │║ www.myglobalmind.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Stefan Schmidt - Vocals, Guitars ║ │ │║ Sebastian Scharf - Guitars ║ │ │║ J÷rg Michael - Drums ║ │ │║ Daniel Wicke - Bass ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - None Shall Sleep [04:38] │ │ 02 - Into Doom [04:06] │ │ 03 - Purpose Of A Virgin Mind [03:51] │ │ 04 - Hijacked By Unicorns [04:04] │ │ 05 - The Annihilation [04:51] │ │ 06 - Wake Up Now [04:50] │ │ 07 - The Look Inside-A Broken Taboo [04:45] │ │ 08 - The Look Inside-An Awakening [03:20] │ │ 09 - The Look Inside-A Battle Against All Hope [03:07] │ │ 10 - The Look Inside-A Look Inside [02:46] │ │ 11 - Metal Daze [04:36] │ │ 12 - The Look Inside (Orchestral) [13:58] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [58:52 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘