Knight's Fall

The '80s are known as the decade that gave birth to metal's countless iconic artists. In my humble opinion there is also another great facet of this era. The countless bands that did not manage to become huge or make a name for themselves. The bands that fell down the well of obscurity and never got to experience the success of certain legendary acts. Voltz are a prime example of that category. Formed in 1979 released just one album and then called it quits. However in only one record they managed to combine the blues and rock jams of Led Zeppelin with aggression of heavy metal to produce an amazing result!

First of all I would really like to talk about the production of the record which is stellar! Crystal clear sound that lets the listener embrace the songs. All of instruments have their own distinctive touch; the guitars have a muddy distorted voicing, which is balanced enough for the melodic but also the more heavy parts. The analog recording unveils every little sound and effect the band uses; this can be witnessed in the rhythmic section where bass and drums lock really beautifully to expand the musical ideas rather than just only supporting them.

As I have mentioned before you can sense the influence of Led Zeppelin all over Voltz's songs. The mid tempo jumping riffs of "The tose" or the overlong melodies of the opening track really prove this statement. Although the band really transform their influence into great ideas sometimes this impact gets somewhat over them. This holds back some of their compositions - the song "Red Eyes" is an example with its endless guitar themes - and denies the band's ability to express themselves in their own way. The more saccato passages, on the other hand, have the distinct vibe of British heavy metal and when the band decides to take a lift in terms of speed the music climbs a mountain of quality; take for example the song "Eyes". A quick intro followed by an truly fascinating melody and rhythm. So simple yet so incredible! Last but not least the guitarists seem to really love acoustic interludes. Simply put they match the band's overall songwriting, are cleverly positioned in the songs' sections and have a somehow "medieval" sensation. I really like that the final song was a 5 minute ballad where a story about a knight dying was accompanied by epic acoustic parts.

Now if we are talking about the '80s we have to mention the vocalist. I might sound like an old man, a "boomer" in internet terms, but back then - great I really sound like an old man now - if you had a band there was no way to become good if your vocalist sucked. This is not the case with Voltz as Glen Leinster manage to both perform fantastically in his guitar and sing. His tone range is not the best I have heard but his hue and melody steps up from just following the riff. Although there are some moments when his words are muffled in the mix this cannot hold him from singing calmly in the ballads and fiercely in the more aggressive parts of the record.

I frankly believe that Voltz's album is the definition of a hidden gem. I can sense the feel of the band in many critically acclaimed artists of today's musical scene - the intro of "Dorian Gray" feels identical to "Paradise City" by Guns and Roses - and the whole combination of medieval themes in the lyrics and hard rock give a feeling of genuine effort. With all their imperfections and perfections Voltz crafted a true heavy metal album. One of many to never face the success the '80s gave to many bands. But this is the nature of music. Some live to make history others live to be placed in history's closet. This doesn't mean that we, the fans, are not able to enjoy those who were left behind.

75/100