Just a Dream

One of my fave bands from my country, Slavon have been playing their excellent brand of traditional heavy metal for 7 years (if I am not wrong). The weak production (due to an unexperienced, so called "producer") is the only flaw in this album. The drums are muffled and the cymbals are not that clear. On the other hand, the bass, the guitars and the excellent vocals make up for the songs.

"Roman" is a great opener. This song showcases the band at it's best. Full speed melodic metal! "Empty Words" is a mid paced song with some really nice acoustic verses. The vocals are a stand out in this song, full of dynamics.

I know there are tons and tons of songs entitled "Excalibur". Again, a mid paced headbanger with a really nice pair of solos. Sometimes, ballads help to bring the pace down in an album, but in this case, "Broken Sky", is a pointless song. You can't tell between the chorus and the verses. Plus the melodic/harmonic lines are too weird. This is one of the 2 weak songs in this album.

"The Beggar" is one of my fave songs from this album. Based on a simple, yet super heavy riff, this one bears a Black Sabbath influence in the main riff. Plus, later in the song, there is an excellent harmony line played by both guitars. Excellent all the way!

Mixing slow acoustic parts with the typical power metal chorus, "God's Finger" is another highlight in this album. They changed it a little compared to the demo version, but it still has the same strong intro riff and the great vocals. A great pair of solos and a really cool acoustic breakdown. "Just A Dream" had to be the title track. A monster main riff that sticks to your head like a leech, you'll be humming this one in the car, at work or wherever you are. This song was written for the album and it's one of Slavon's best tracks ever! Definitevely, a furious headbanger.

Ok, now onto the second weak spot: "Red River". Pointless and totally out of place. I never could get into it, especially for the guitar melodies and the "polka"-like drum beat.

"East Of Israel" and the almost epic "The Promised Land" are excellent songs, both bearing catchy choruses and vocal melodies, plus some really precise drum patterns.

"Cielo Herido" is the spanish version of "Broken Sky".

This album deserves more, but "Red River", "Broken Sky" and the weak production held me down concerning the rating.