Proudly hoisting an affinity for all things traditional about classic hard rock and melodic power / heavy metal, Then Comes The Night came onto the scene in 2019 – although not without a host of experience, as certain members have ties to acts like We Are Legend, Bells and Ravens, and Barbie on Deathtrip. With a self-titled EP and two albums under their belts in Chapter 1 and Start the Change respectively, Metal World is the third full-length from the group, adding another twelve songs to the cache, intertwining a bevy of Teutonic/American musical and vocal influences to create material that can be highly infectious, harmony-driven, as well cultural / patriotic in sections.
“Paradise” an easy example on initial exposure to parallel many of these aspects – between the multi-part vocal harmonies that are very Freedom Call-esque as well as the twin guitar lines will remind many of classic Helloween. Hard-charging riffs plus double kick action gives the follow-up “Beauty and Hate” that added drive, similar to what one would expect from fellow German act Primal Fear – the additional duet aspect vocally from Ela Traub accentuates the female / male contrasts to main guitarist/vocalist Selin Schönbeck’s delivery, while the closing circus/nursery rhyme-oriented bass line from Martin Baumann shows a bit more of their playful side. At other points the diversity can also present a bit of their weaknesses – the lower range of Selin in the initial verse of the more epic “Where the Sun” doesn’t seem as convincing as the mid-range or higher screams, although he recovers on a more theatrical-driven ballad like “What’s Our Life” that executes a lot of Broadway-like piano / choir tricks in the mix.
The band chooses to go where their hearts and creativity take them – injecting certain songs with a bit more of a classic hard rock flavor, at other times more resolute in a Manowar-ish stance such as the opener “Headbanger’s Heaven”. Also unafraid to put in an all German-language anthem for “Wie in Stein”, the main metal chord atmosphere will go down a storm when Then Comes The Night air this across domestic stages or in festival settings. Favorites change depending on this scribe’s mood – although it’s hard to deny the steady Blind Guardian meets Stryper-like choir harmonies, supplementary main rockin’ metallic riffs, and steady drum groove behind “Without a Sense” for rallying the troops every time.
The singalong aspect alone will thrust all metalheads to lose voices, beyond the mandatory guitar hooks and thunderous bass/drum tandem to steady the foundation. When you just want an album to let go of your daily stress that work life or family/relationship matters may throw at you – Metal World by Then Comes The Night should ideally fulfill that need.