Recent Reviews

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

[ More Music Reviews ]


Pharaoh: After The Fire (Vinyl Reissue)
Pharaoh: After The Fire (Reissue) Music Review

Pharaoh: After The Fire (Vinyl Reissue)

(Traditional) Heavy Metal
5.0/5.0

Website Facebook
Cruz Del Sur Music
Released: 24.08.2018
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 29.08.2018

There are good reasons to celebrate the reissue of Pharaoh's After The Fire. It celebrates some firsts for both the band and their label, Cruz Del Sur Music. After The Fire was the Philadelphia band's 2003 debut album. It was also the first album released by classic heavy metal advocates Cruz Del Sur Music aka CRUZ001CD. So, for this most auspicious occasion why not do something equally auspicious, re-release the album on vinyl. Hell yeah! Behold After The Fire, Cruz Del Sur catalog number CRUZ553LP.

Pharaoh Band Photo Click For Larger Image

Pharaoh

When the boys in the band formed Pharaoh in 1997, they were bucking all sorts of American musical trends, not the least of which was heavy metal. Nu-metal and alt metal were on the rise and rising, and Pharaoh wanted to play classic "keep it true" American heavy power metal. Essentially, musically speaking, that was political and economic suicide for them. Welcome to the metal underground. But, alas, elsewhere there are musical climes and metal aficionados who are not as fickle as my America. Enter Cruz Del Sur and the vastly more receptive European theater. Both Pharaoh and Cruz Del Sur have become success stories across the mighty Atlantic.

And why not? For the label, some 15 years along, the folks at Cruz Del Sur are still discovering and releasing classic metal from the States and elsewhere. High five and thank you very much.

For Pharaoh, as a debut album, After The Fire is both premium and classic material. Certainly they've advanced in their abilities and output through the years, but After The Fire is a fine first album. It's filled with power and groove, gallop and gusto, and rising with some epic guitar work. Most songs move with the swiftness of power metal, yet a rock groove stimulates their movement. Much of this comes through with the heavy metal rock of Never Not Again and Solar Flight. For Flash Of The Dark the band infuses some light acoustic guitar work to start. Two songs later, Heart Of The Enemy fools you with its light vocal start, before ripping into some thunderous heavy metal, then later, finishing with an acoustic outro.

Needless to say, re-releasing Pharaoh's After The Fire on vinyl is a momentous celebration for both the band and their label, Cruz Del Sur. It's classic heavy metal album from a terrific label. The album is still available on CD, but grab the vinyl edition while you can. Recommended.



CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

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

The Bottom Line

Re-releasing Pharaoh's After The Fire on vinyl is a momentous celebration for both the band and their label, Cruz Del Sur. The album is still available on CD, but grab the vinyl edition while you can. Recommended.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution Album Review

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]