Saint Deamon – Ghost
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
The small Hamburg label Ram It Down has signed the next metal veterans. Saint Deamon from Sweden were founded in 2006. Under the roof of Frontiers Records the band from Örebro has released two albums at this time. However, the release of the last album (“Pandeamonium”) is already a while back (May 2009). Then it was quiet around the band. Now, ten years later, Saint Deamon are trying a comeback. With a new label in the back, the third album “Ghost” will be released at the end of August.
Straightforward and powerful, the Swedes present themselves. Even with “Captain Saint D” you can tell that hardly any bombast can be heard. The only luxury they can afford is a whistling singer () and a chorus at the refrain. But this was probably sung band internally. Much more important are the drum work, the riffs and great guitar solos. In “Call My Name” subtle synths are played at the beginning. But only to move on even more forward afterwards. Jan Thore Grefstad can show what he is for an outstanding singer. The Speed Metal song “Return Of The Deamons” could also be about the band itself, the comeback of Saint Deamon. The “demonic” double bass attacks provide consistently high speed. That Toya Johansson very filigree plays the guitar solos, I mentioned already. The title song “Ghost” itself is a hymnic power-ballad, with excess length. Only the guitar solo provides more speed. This is followed by straight stadium rockers (“Limelight Dreams”), big metal anthems (“Higher”), Speed smasher (“Land Of Gold”). In “Somewhere Far Beyond” progressive influences cannot be ignored. An interesting splash of color is provided by the acoustic guitar interlude “The Exodus (Part II)”, which seamlessly leads over to hard but hymnic sounds (“Journey Through The Stars”). The bouncer “Resurrection” does not seem to fit the rest of the album. Strings and piano create a soundtrack feeling here.
After a ten-year break, Saint Deamon seems to have a real boost in creativity., the Swedes pressed more than seventy-one minutes of music on the album. And thanks to the high-profile and varied songwriting, the album never gets boring after repeated runs. The press release speaks of the band’s best album yet, a rollercoaster ride through the diverse territory of melodic metal. I can only underline that completely. Whoever has had enough of the oversized epic of Hammerfall or Stratovorius or does not like to hear the sabatonic battle anthems, should definitely grab this gem from Sweden.
SAINT DEAMON – Captain Saint D: https://youtu.be/aJewlZRr3NM
Lineup:
Jan Thore Grefstad – Vocals
Toya Johansson – Guitar
Magnus “Nobby” Noberg – Bass
Jarle Byberg – Drums
Label: Ram It Down Records
Out: August 30th, 2019
Plaing time: 01:11:23
Track list:
- Captain Saint D
- Call My Name
- Return Of The Deamons
- Ghost
- Limelight Dreams
- Hell’s Calling
- Earth Is Alive
- Land Of Gold
- Higher
- Somewhere Far Beyond
- The Exodus (Part II)
- Journey Through The Stars
- Break The Sky
- Resurrection
Rating : 9/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
