WALPYRGUS - Walpyrgus Nights
Cruz del Sur Music
I've been living in Raleigh, NC for quite some years now, actually twenty eight years (yeah I'm a transplant) and I've learned that when it comes to metal certain truths are evident. I don't care what trend or flavor of the month rolls through town. This area has deep roots in traditional or classic sounding metal. So here's a band with enough true metal roots in this area's music scene to ruin a whole bunch of flashers in the pan's days.
WALPYRGUS might've started out in 2012 but their band membership is one of local respect. You've got guitarist and main songwriter Scott Waldrop of TWISTED TOWER DIRE, vocalist Jonny Aune also of TWISTED TOWER DIRE as well as formerly in HELLRAZOR and VIPER, then there's bassist Jim Hunter of WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, TWISTED TOWER DIRE and OCTOBER 31, Charley Shackelford is the band's second guitarist formerly of the legendary doom merchants DAYLIGHT DIES and finally on drums it's Peter Lemieux of VIPER (Lemieux has since been replaced with by Carlos Denogean of SALVACION) In no uncertain terms people this is a supergroup.
Let me follow that up by saying this debut full length is worthy of a supergroup. Walpyrgus Nights is kinda a mix of PRIEST, DIO, MAIDEN and so much more even punk. Seriously "Dead Girls" is probably the best most catchiest MISFIT-esque punk song you've heard a metal band do in years. Opener “The Dead of Night” contains that classic duel lead guitar harmony approach which of course reminds me of THIN LIZZY. It's a precursor to much more as the songs flow on throughout this release. The vocals are clean melodic and almost in what I'd call radio friendly, that's if radio actually played good new music again instead of AOR classics and that urban stuff.
Speaking of vocals, Jonny Aune offers up one of the best vocal performances that will remind you of Dio on the song "Palmystry" than anywhere else. The first time I listened to that song I thought somewhere Ronnie James is smiling and throwing them the horns. And just to throw in more fuel to this band's fiery love of 80's metal they do a WITCH CROSS cover "Light of a Torch" just for kicks. All in all Walpyrgus Nights is just a classic sounding release that reminds you of metal's past (that's if you're old enough to remember it) while at the same time keeping it sounding fresh and new. Then again with all that talent amongst it's membership how could it not be great.
http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/
https://walpyrgus.bandcamp.com/album/walpyrgus-nights
https://www.facebook.com/Walpyrgus
http://walpyrgus.com/
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