Headquakes

Headquakes is a quartet hailing from the great country of Italy doing what Italians do best - power metal! This is a solid power metal demo filled with the usual goings on of a power metal group - fantasy lyrics, euphoric double bass, melody based guitar riffs/leads, all of it is here. As standard as it comes for power metal demos - so what makes this stand out amongst the others.

Well Headquakes take the different approach to power metal than most other Italian power metal acts, unlike Rhapsody for example there are no keyboards so there isn't an exact feeling of 'flower metal'. The overall sound is something akin to Primal Fear mixed with a lot elements to make the music have a feeling of epic atmosphere. Maybe it's the thick Italian accent of the vocalist, or the acoustic interludes with a hint of piano in the background and slight hint of orchestrations that make the mood set in a fantasy world.

The songs aren't very long, but are too the point - all straightforward power metal songs with the obligatory instrumental opener and middle-of-the-album interlude. The best example of the epic nature of the songs mixed with a great structure is the final track, Winter's Hunter, which is probably the best of the demo displaying a great guitar solo! The songs have a sense of cohesion that works well for the overall demo. Despite being somewhat on the not-so-memorable side, they work well when listened to all at once for a good ol' power metal time. Crunchy guitars and melodic but not overly flashy guitar solos combined with double bass and soaring vocals make for a typical but enjoyable power metal demo. I'll be looking forward to the full length.