Prepare for Battle

LA-based PowerTribe is a female-fronted trio, and their album "Prepare for Battle" is a dynamic rollercoaster of songs. According to PowerTribe's historical biography, the band has made quite the stylistic turnaround with female vocals now at the forefront. They use to be mainly a progressive instrumental band with the guitars at the forefront, but this turnaround is a definite plus for the metal world.

"Prepare for Battle" is intellectually-crafted and seethes of sophistication, yet it is definitively classic heavy metal. It often sounds like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest with a female singer - aggressive and combative, and rocks in good way. The album definitely has some thought-provoking slower moments. It almost reminds me of an Iced Earth album when they are so brutal from song to song, and then all of a sudden, you get into some heavy metal moodiness. The album demonstrates some quality musicianship for a full barrage of guitar-shredding metal madness. It is chalked full of some "End of the World" type lyrics with the aftermath of devastations with great debut vocals by Missy Percifield, and the amazing shredding fingers of one of metal’s unknown guitar players, Darren Stroud.

Stroud's guitar-work seems to be the force of the band with hard rhythms and stellar solos, and the guitars always bring fire to every song. John Chominsky (former drummer for LA's "Edge of Paradise" band) keeps a finessed rage on the drums like a master time-keeper while Missy Percifield stays consistent and very capable on the bass all the while soaring on vocals from the subtle to the vicious. Her voice ranges from a sweet little girl innocence to violent operatic stylings. Missy is also featured on the intro of the song "Kill Feed Sleep Repeat" with some near-perfect classical piano techniques.

PowerTribe is not the cookie-cutter metal trio. They are musically and harmonically diverse with spot-on performances and great songwriting. And there is real singing, which is not a crutch in my metal book. I am a huge Arch Enemy fan and love bestial screaming with the best of them, but hearing a singer really "sing" in the world of metal can be refreshing to say the least.

PowerTribe's "Prepare for Battle" is a 10-song release. It opens with a swirling massive guitar lead on "The Living Envy the Dead" as the vocals drone over aggressive rhythms. It is lyrically dealing with a desolated landscape and it might even be talking about cannibalism. "Invisible" is pure power metal with a soundscape opening driven by keyboard riffs. Missy's keyboard lines are counterpoint to Stroud’s guitar chops and precision drumming of Chominsky. This song has the "popiest" metal flavor and it is hooky. You will find yourself singing it all day. Stroud is featured on the instrumental track "Flight of the Enochians" with some virtuosic, articulate guitar work. Iron Maiden influences are apparent in the title track "Prepare For Battle" as Missy uses her operatic skills while Stroud vocally echos and then does a mind-blowing lead guitar solo. "Kill Feed Sleep Repeat" could honestly be a power metal anthem that makes you want to sing along. Chominsky shines on the drums much like his drumming on "Flight of the Enochians". Harmonically intense with brutal words is "I Am Here Alive". It is a provoking commentary on still "being alive" after the devastations. "Burn The Fear" is seriously a wall of sound and it is heavy metal at its finest. "Arise" is classic heavy metal with another great guitar solo from Stroud. It seems that this song might be talking about joining forces with aliens (UFO) in the Last Days (especially when they have a song titled "Flight of the Enochians). "Machine Gun Opus" is the second instrumental track and it's like Dream Theater meets Steve Vai with the rat-a-tat-tat of machine gun-like drums and guitars all melted into a single pot of metal instrumental greatness. The self-named song "PowerTribe" encompasses all the PowerTribe elements. This is an epic track over 7 minutes long. It ranges from the ethereal to even a military-march, odd time signatures, and tribal rhythms. It navigates through some metal mayhem. And this song definitely seems almost like an anthem for the band, PowerTribe.

The overall mix of the album is good, but I am missing some bottom-end on some devices. But the whole album has immense talent and potential. PowerTribe’s "Prepare For Battle" is great American heavy metal with some European and symphonic elements. Those preferring female-fronted metal with real singing should give this album a listen. I liked it enough to want to give it a review. So keep your eyes peeled for PowerTribe as they are talented enough to increase their potential in the field of metal.