All For Metal – Legends (AFM Records)
Wednesday, 5th July 2023
With a moniker like All For Metal, there’s little doubt as to what you’ll get here from this German/Italian sextet on this debut album Legends. Uniting to a classic love of heavy metal, vocalists Tim ‘Tetzel’ Schmidt (best known for his work in Asenblut) and Antonio Calanna (ex-DeVicious) came together to create a united force championing a devoted passion for true, traditional songwriting over the course of this hard-hitting, tightly focused eleven song record. Don your favorite denim (or leather) apparel as you prepare for anthems of steel, the topics of goddesses, warriors, battles triumphantly taking the listener into another universe, content to provide entertainment value that whisks you away from any current worry.
The dual vocalist employment much like the double axe lineup allows the band to build out the core elements in a precise, powerful platform. There’s a pagan-vibe to many of the vocal melodies or main musical hooks that carry “Hear the Drum” and “Goddess of War” into instant thunderous appeal territory, while other tracks channel a bit more of a straight-forward power metal atmosphere, “Fury of the Gods” recalling classic Powerwolf when it comes to the lower register verses against a soaring chorus ready for audience participation. Sometimes the mid-tempo Sabaton-esque keyboards / choir to narrative aspects also factor into the proceedings, going in tandem to the rhythm guitars during “The Day of Hammerfall”, the lead break very quick yet squeezing out every ounce of energy to get the job done. The opener “All For Metal” sets up the album in crunchy fashion, intertwining aspects of 80’s-period Accept with Manowar – while the closing ballad “Legends Never Die” should get fair acclaim, the acoustic to electric shifts a perfect backdrop for the two singers to deliver a magnificent, heart wrenching performance in the verses and chorus.
The stage costumes, makeup, and overall concept by All For Metal enhance the musical output without being a major distraction. Legends should succeed because it’s another look at classic heavy metal through a pagan-ish lens but taking into account the production values at a modern producer’s fingertips (cheers to Hardy Krech of Elephant Studios). One to watch in the newcomer column.
