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ValSans: Sword

Heavy/Power Metal

4.0/5.0

Pure Underground Records (div. Pure Steel Records)
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by Craig Hartranft,  04.25.2011

Hailing from Austria, ValSans offers their debut work Sword, a platter of classic melodic heavy and power metal. Their roots date to 1996, but it was only around 2002 that the band began gel in terms of steady personnel and metal style. 2004 brought a 4 track EP Dawn of Metal, and they had subsequent opportunities to open for fellow metal brethren Grave Digger, Iron Savior, and Nocturnal Rites. Sword was self-released in 2010, but now it's been picked up by Pure Underground Records, a division of Germany's Pure Steel Records.

ValSans, with little doubt, falls into the category of 'true' metal, that classic synergy of heaviness, melody, and epic themes. As you suspect with a title like Sword, the songs deal with typical heavy/power metal fare: war on On the Battlefield, mythology on Mjolnir and Lady of the Lake, and the expected odes to metal itself on The Allegiance and Metal Crusade.

To the music, ValSans can make their music both epic and varied as on On the Battlefield where they blend classic metal with power metal, accented by folk elements. Some of this folk style and mythology returns on inspirational Hall of Fame. For pure old school metal The Allegiance chugs with heaviness built upon huge riffs and crowd engaging shouts. Eyes of a Viper seems to begin as doom metal but quickly turns into a rush of melodic heavy power metal with some stinging guitar work. Returning to the same canvas which built On the Battlefield, on Lady of the Lake ValSans is in their best element when they compose and play in grand proportions.

For another entry into the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, ValSans' Sword is an accomplished, entertaining, and worthy 'head banging' effort. If you dig the classic 'true' metal sound, heaviness mixed with melody painted on a huge canvas, Sword is for you. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

For another entry into the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, ValSans' Sword is an accomplished, entertaining, and worthy 'head banging' effort.

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