DARKBLACK

Stormspell Records has carved out a nice little niche for itself, specializing exclusively in traditional/classic heavy metal, thrash, and doom. The winners are picked with consistency and DARKBLACK's "Midnight Wraith" provides yet another case in point. Though not quite as stellar as some of the label's other 2010 releases, it is nonetheless a fine piece of trad-metal that could have been released in the late '70s or early '80s.

The Lancaster, PA act have penned five tracks of what some would call "cult" heavy metal and still others will find tinged with doom, though in the latter case because of the organic guitar tones and a vocalist in Tim Smith that shares similarities in style with TROUBLE's Eric Wagner. Overall, "Midnight Wraith" borrows from the likes of MERCYFUL FATE for the darkness of the licks and some of the less commercially successful NWOBHM acts, including DIAMOND HEAD. You can hear it on "Doom Herald" and "Power Monger", both of which are smartly arranged and inclusive of the kind of soulful (and often wailing) lead guitar playing that defined the genre. Conversely, consider HOUR OF 13 if the took a strictly NWOBHM approach. The up-tempo title track on which Smith opens up the pipes a little more is a definite standout, this time inclusive of some Ritchie Blackmore (RAINBOW – fast material from any era) and a superb solo section at the end that when combined with the rhythm guitar part and cadence reminds of JUDAS PRIEST somewhere between "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings of Destiny". Momentum is maintained on closing cut "Broken Oath", which features penetrating twin-leads and some early IRON MAIDEN.

"Midnight Wraith" is an album that won't immediately grab some listeners, partly due to taste and partly because it is an album that sinks in rather than slaps across the face. One's mood is also a determining factor. Whatever the case, DARKBLACK is a band that bears watching.