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Angels Of Babylon is the brainchild of former Manowar drummer Rhino who wrote the songs and after years he found the right people to record them with. Bassist David Ellefson (Hail!, F5, Ripper Owens band, ex-Megadeth) is known by every metal fans, but guitarist Ethan Brosh and singer David Fefolt will be nobodies for most metalheads.
The opening track Conspiracy Theory kicks off with drums and becomes a straight powerful heavy metal tune. The song has a dark atmosphere and a symphonic edge due to the keyboard, but the vocals make it easy to get into this one. Guitarist Ethan Brosh is obviously inspired by guitarists like Chris Impellitteri and Yngwie Malmsteen, but he is playing in a song supportive way. Apocalypse 2012 begins with keyboard, soon the band joins in. A stomping heavy rocker with a refrain which soon will haunt you - coz it's very repetitive. The song Night Magic sounds 80's like... Reminds me of some old tune... Unfortunately the song also has the 80's sound quality, but perhaps it's just the promotion copy... Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen is a song which reminds me a bit of Dio.. A cool riff-based tune which live will make you sing along! Good hookline. And with Tarot it seems like they take you back in time... to Black Sabbath (Dio era) or Heaven And Hell. No bad tune, but you'll soon forget it, it just lacks the magic. The title track Kingdom Of Evil surprise with a short keyboard passage where only Fefolts vocals accompanying the keys, but then the song explodes and returns to the opening theme. The Remnant is a keyboard-based instrumental which seems a bit out of place... Angels Of Babylon brings back the heaviness, the guitar takes over again. For me the highlight of the album, but other songs can't keep the level. The closer Second Coming is a dark symphonic metal track and shows Angels Of Babylon slightly different.
My resume: A decent album with highlights and lowlights, technically there is nothing to complain, but I miss the certain something - at least at most songs. It will be interesting to see what they present next time, coz this songs been collected by Rhino through the years, if new songs will be a band effort it might sound different...
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