Pharaoh Power United states Reviews & Experiences, Official Price 2023, Buy 2023

Pharaoh Power United States Reviews: There’s a common idea that the NWoTHM for the most part was the second coming of classic ’80s metal styles, primarily of the NWoBHM and its immediate descendants, and that we mostly owe it to bands like 3 Inches of Blood, Enforcer, Alpha Tiger, White Wizzard and so on for the second wind of what many believed was an extinct style (as opposed to a wide umbrella encompassing more than we can name). This of course falls apart if you actually dig deeper into metal as a whole past whatever golden age record labels, tastemakers, and hype-makers are telling you is coming back. Another misconception that follows in its wake is that these styles are essentially finished projects with not much if anything left to offer in terms of growth or idiosyncrasy which falls just as flat after a bit of snooping around the less glamorous corners of an increasingly commercialized genre.

With nine years spent waiting since the release of their last album, 2012’s Bury The Light, Pharaoh returns in forceful fashion with their fifth full-length. The Powers That Be (Cruz Del Sur Music) could very well be the Power Metal veterans’ most aggressive outing since 2006’s The Longest Night, bringing in a borderline thrash undercurrent with the guitar’s blazing technical runs along with the vocals’ established grit. This is established right off the bat with the title track’s assertive crunch and ‘Will We Rise’ follows up the intensity with some added Classic Metal flavor.

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Of course, this also comes with the experimental angle that took prominence on the last couple albums still hanging around. ‘Waiting To Drown’ is the album’s first big curveball, serving as an atmospheric number that offers a deeper, restrained vocal and almost western guitar picking that transitions well into the precariously anthemic ‘Lost In The Waves.’ ‘Freedom’ and ‘Dying Sun’ are also major winners thanks to their old school throwbacks; I’m a sucker for triumphant guitar harmonies, uplifting gang shouts, and up-tempo drum work.

The musicianship has also held up quite well in the time away, showing no signs of fatigue. Vocalist Tim Aymar proved that his voice has held up on his performance with Angband in 2020 and his husky wail is even more potent here. Guitarist Matt Johnsen puts in one of his most dynamic performances with plenty of sections devoted to swelling melodies alongside the intricate rhythms while Chris Black puts in one of his busiest, most intense drum performances to date. The only downside is that bassist Chris Kerns isn’t as prominent as before though he still gets a spot to shine on ‘When The World Was Mine.’

Overall, The Powers That Be is a bold effort that reinforces Pharaoh’s status as an institution of American Power Metal. While it may be just a little shy of the echelon claimed by Bury The Light and The Longest Night, the musicianship is just as vibrant. While I initially found myself hoping for a couple more immediate numbers, the songs are some real growers that reveal engaging variety and dexterity with multiple listens. A lot of the bands that played this style in the early 2000s get overlooked by the legends before them and the youngsters that came after; it’s always excellent when one of them comes back to show us how it’s done.

Not much as it turns out. The same blueprint is in effect, though at times there’s a slight tilt toward Symphony X-styled prog-power, and I hear a bit more of Dawnbringer’s retro sound lurking just below the surface. The opening title track has the classic Pharaoh sound but the arrangements hint at New Jersey’s greatest prog-metal band. It’s an adrenaline-charged ditty with a wealth of crunchy riffs, soaring leads and commanding vocals and I like it, but it’s not quite up to the standards set by the band’s past outings. “Will We Rise” course corrects quickly, with a hyper-urgent, extra punchy battle hymn featuring scads of glorious guitar work and powerhouse vocals. It fuses the classic Maiden gallop into a hyper-technical foundation of slick riffing and insane solo flourishes and it works a charm. Better still is the grim mood piece “Waiting to Drown,” which is like a marriage of Johnny Cash-style darkness to Nevermore’s dour theatrics. Witherfall attempted something similar on their recent album with the song “The River,” but this puts it to absolute shame. It’s a short piece, but it broods and bleeds more over it’s brief run than most 7-9 minute monstrosities could. In contrast, the harder “Lost in the Waves” builds gradually to an excellently epic chorus that will stick deep in your brain pocket.

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The album settles into a groove as it rolls along, with a lot of the best stuff coming on the back half. One of my favorite moments is “Freedom” with it’s upbeat, mega-macho tale of fighting for freedom and liberty against all odds. If you spin this one and don’t get yourself a weapon with which to defend your independence, you are a sheep. Hell, there’s even a jaunty Running Wild-style riff phrase to enhance the throat cutting and Jolly Roger-ing. “Dying Sun” surprises with its combination of Nevermore-esque darkness and a noticeable Tad Morose feel to the writing and I really love the combination. While no songs fully stumble, the aforementioned title track isn’t as good as I expect from Pharaoh, and closer “I Can Hear Them,” though better, isn’t quite as exciting as the surrounding material, though it does grow with exposure. At 44 minutes, The Powers That Be is the ideal length and a very easy, engaging spin full of gripping performances by all involved. The tracks are reasonably trim and tight as well. The production suits the style, with Chris Black’s drums sounding thunderous and Tim Aymar’s vocals commanding centerstage without minimizing the phenomenal guitar-work from Matt Johnsen (Dawnbringer, Superchrist).

And about that guitar-work: Johnsen is a fucking monster on the fretboard. I’d forgotten just how impressive the guy is and how much I enjoy his style of playing. It’s so insanely fluid and smooth, yet holds more than enough brawn to do justice to the band’s aggressive, quasi-dark style. One memorable riff blends and bends into another giving the material a sense of evolution and vitality. The exceptional string slinging is paired well with Chris Black’s busy, technical kit work, making for a very active, enthralling listen. Over the top of it all roars Tim Aymar like a Viking Grizzly Bear. He’s got an exceptionally raw, raspy delivery that never seems to age or change, and he sounds great as usual (especially on “Waiting to Drown” and “Dying Sun”). A vocalist with a cleaner, more polished style wouldn’t impart the same coarse, hardscrabble edge Aymar does, and his voice is a prefect counterpoint to Johnsen’s pristine guitar-work.

This band is so damn talented, if the writing was just a little more consistent, they would have forced me to award my first 4.0 of 2021. Close, but no victory cigar. That said, The Powers That Be is an impressive, highly enjoyable comeback for Pharaoh and contains a few of their best songs to date. If you like your heavy metal ballsy, technical and full of trveness, Pharoah has some pyramids of power to sell you. Now please be more productive!

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