• Some Of The Few – Some Of The Few

    December 6, 2013 in Reviews

    Some Of The Few 2013Some Of The Few - Some Of The Few (2013)

    Reviewed by Sebastian Kluth

    Some Of The Few is an obscure heavy metal band from Montreal that has been around for over twenty years now. Due to several line-up changes and the lack of support from labels, the band has thus far only managed to release a demo and one full length album (in 1997) that nobody has ever heard about. Some Of The Few has started to collaborate with famous artists such as Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson, Tim “Ripper” Owens of Iced Earth and Judas Priest fame, and Quebec’s famous metal musician Mononc’ Serge, who is a member of the thrash metal band Anonymus. I discovered this underground band because they invited and paid the flight for former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley to sing at the release show of their self-titled and self-produced record. Parts of the band played a few acoustic songs with a great performance by Blaze as an introduction. The band then offered a few songs from the new record, plus a few cover songs where Blaze joined the band again.

     

    Some Of The Few really has a passion for traditional heavy metal music. The atmospheric mid-tempo opener “My Genesis” features trademarks of bands such as Iron Maiden and especially Judas Priest. The five men don’t just know the classics and their roots, but also how to write catchy choruses on this track. The band hymn “S.O.T.F.” underlines this ability and is a positive sing along anthem.

    Some Of The Few varies its work enough to keep the record interesting until the end. The darker tones in “Dominoes” feature some acoustic guitars, and this track is a true grower that has me hooked after a few spins. “Florence” also includes these elements, while adding some epic metal parts and tons of power to a track that will likely appeal to fans of Dio and Savatage in their best years. This song is probably my favorite here. The classic heavy metal track “Slaves Of The Curse”, with its fast solos and a pumping bass guitar is enjoyable but not all too spectacular. “One With The Beast” is the record’s first epic, and mixes acoustic parts, narrative passages, and powerful metal sections with ease. “Rejected” is the record’s ballad, and one that convinces with laid back vocals and beautiful acoustic guitar harmonies. The closing heavy metal epic “The Verse Of The Old Warrior” is not an Iron Maiden rip-off (despite its title), but is clearly inspired by them. It’s another powerful and honest old school metal song with an outstanding middle part and acoustic guitars to close the track. It combines the influences and strengths of this band very well and also shows their limits.

    There are a lot of positive things to tell you about this record. It sounds honest and powerful. The musicians play quite well on here and the vocals don’t lack charisma. The remaining traditional heavy metal fans should really appreciate this record. Apart from the lacking production, I must also add the fact that the band doesn’t really have its own sound, and some tracks are a little bit too predictable and unspectacular. After all, this record is a worship of bands such as Dio, HammerFall, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar, Rage, Savatage and so on. It won’t win any prize for originality, but it’s surely an enjoyable ride for those who like the aforementioned bands. The band’s will to release its first true record after more than twenty years of hard work and its initiative to invite artists such as Blaze Bayley to its hometown is what makes the band so authentic and admirable, and why I feel that Some Of The Few deserves some recognition at last. If you share my views, don’t hesitate to support them and buy their record.

    3.0 // 5

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