__________.____ ______________________________ .__ _______ ________ \______ \ | \_ _____/\_ _____/\______ \ |__|\ \ / _____/ | | _/ | | __)_ | __)_ | | \| |/ | \/ \ ___ | | \ |___ | \ | \ | ` \ / | \ \_\ \ |______ /_______ \/_______ //_______ //_______ /__\____|__ /\______ / \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ artist: Black Knight title: The Tower year: 2025 genre: Heavy Metal type: Album label: No Dust Records language: English rel. date: 2025-07-04 source: WEB/MP3 quality: CBR 320kbps / 44.1 kHz / Full Stereo runtime: 00:48:17 size: 121.86MB rip date: 2025-07-21 source url: https://www.deezer.com/album/764917501 tracklist: 1. Deluded 1:14 2. Tower 5:08 3. Survive 4:48 4. Exploration 5:35 5. Misery 5:38 6. Die 5:06 7. Rise 6:16 8. Deceivers 6:24 9. Fire 4:02 10. Im Dunkeln (Remastered version) 4:06 release notes: It's always an interesting experience to seize a promo by a band that's been around for decades, yet you've never heard of them. Thus did I come to discover Dutch traditional metallers, Black Knight. Formed way back in the 80s, they didn't release an album until 1998, and since then, they've only managed 2 other releases, the last being in 2020. Badly delayed by COVID lockdowns and lineup changes, it's only now that we get 4th album, The Tower. With a sound that borrows mightily from Accept, Primal Fear, and Brainstorm, they bring exuberantly old school antics to the table with slight traces of power metal decorating the edges. It's not fancy, it's not new or innovative, but these chaps know what they are doing and how to push a metal song into your ears through brute force. But is there a reason why Black Knight is so little known after so many years in the game? After the requisite intro that adds nothing at all to the album, things get extra spicy on "Tower," where they throw all their traditional / classic metal bona fides at you like pocket sand, leaving you vulnerable to the brutal stun. It's a burly, badass, fist-pumping gem not far from what Primal Fear churn out on a good day, and it has that big, anthemic sizzle that makes you want to throw cars at disfavored locals. "Survive" comes out with a heavy battering ram riff before shifting gears to a more Brainstorm-esque macho metal style that suits them well. Black Knight have a real gift for crafting classic metal hooks that dig deep and get you on board. Shockingly, they deliver 7 ball-busting metal chestnuts in a row with nary a dip in quality. You get a grinding, moody power ballad like "Misery," and then they just as easily bludgeon you with an Accept-meets-Mystic Prophecy steamroller like "Die." This stuff puts you between the hammer and the anvil and irons your shit out good and proper. Considering I never heard of these guys, I was quite shocked by how consistently good to great these songs are as they kept piling up like an epic car wreck in the consciousness of Steel. The slick songwriting heard on a heavy metal cut like "Deceivers" doesn't grow on trees, and damn is it sticky like hot tar on a cold day. Not many bands can string together seven sick bangers like these on any given album. So what are the downsides? Well, as impressive as things are for the bulk of The Tower's runtime, the last few songs seriously undermine their run of luck. "Fire" is a standard, stadium-ready rocker that doesn't do a lot for me, but the real problem is how things end bizarrely with a German language soft rock ballad called "Im Dunkein." This thing fits with the rest of the album about as well as steaming rhino shit does on a pricey porterhouse steak. It's not a good song regardless of genre, and it has no business being the conclusion to a balls-to-the-walls metal album. It's the kind of song you promptly delete and forget it ever existed, and it's greatly perplexing why the band thought it fit here. Once this thing is removed, repudiated, and scorned, The Tower makes a Hell of a lot more sense! GertJan Vis and Ruben Raadschelders are able axe slingers and deliver an effective collection of jackhammering riffs and earwormy harmonies as they crunch and crack along. There's a definite Accept-on-roids vibe to much of what they do, along with flashes of salad days Annihilator. This blend works well with the kind of songs they serve up. New frontman Henk Overbosch delivers classic metal vocals with poise, power, and enough versatility to move from mood to mood without sounding forced or out of place. He has the right amount of grit and hoarsepower to convince, and the guy has legit pipes too. This is a seasoned, talented crew, and they have serious songwriting chops, which makes it even more completely baffling why they opted to end The Tower with such an ill-advised whimper. The Tower is a very good traditional metal album with enough piss, vinegar, and pruno to make you even more of a beefbrained barbarian than you already are. It's entertaining enough to have me sorting through their back catalog, and even with a disaster of a closer, it's still got serious legs. If you need a classic metal fix with raw power and hooks, Black Knight will be your huckleberry. Sometimes the obscure side is the fun side. -- angry metal guy Not to be confused with other bands with same name. https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Black_Knight/5638