Widow - Life's Blood : New Music Review : Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock : CD Album Music Review : Dangerdog Music Reviews

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Widow: Life's Blood

Melodic Heavy Rock/Metal

4.5/5.0

Pure Steel Records
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by Craig Hartranft, 10.31.2011

North Carolina's Widow offers, unapologetically, classic American melodic heavy metal on their fourth disc Life's Blood. Their influences are notable including King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Warlord, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, and the music certainly injects doses of NWOBHM and European power metal. This is totally against most modern conventions and that's a very good thing.

Above, Widow: cheap sunglasses and vintage metal tees required in this band.

Most apparent across Life's Blood is the band strong sense of harmony and melody in vocal and chord arrangements, while still remaining heavy. Lady Twilight, Embrace It, and Behind the Light are certain examples. Then, between the lyrics and arrangements the songs offer a strong metal-rock groove and crafty hooks to create very catchy tunes. Take Hold of the Night, The Burning Ones, and the quite accessible The One I Know delivers on this account.

But, of course, you can expect some basic metal. For instance, the more deliberate and steady melodic heavy metal on In Dreams or the fast speed metal of I Scream for Ice Cream. There might even be a metal ballad in Another Fallen Angel, as it sways between lighter and heavier moments only to build and rise to a crescendo of guitar solos. Frankly, there's much to enjoy here. However, but understanding it's supposed to be metal, the cover art is simply ugly.

Fans of traditional, and often rocking, melodic heavy metal will find Widow's latest Life's Blood significant and entertaining. Widow are craftsmen in this classic genre.

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