▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Chastain ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Ruler of the Wasteland █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 1986 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2020-01-12 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Roadrunner Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Just by glancing at the album art, you can █ █ probably tell what you're getting yourself into █ █ when it comes time to listen to "Ruler of the █ █ Wasteland." This is epic heavy/power metal of top █ █ form with plenty of Judas Priest and Maiden █ █ worshiping going on. Chastain is a band that is █ █ for some reason, not as popular as they should █ █ have been. I rarely ever see mentions of this band █ █ on the internet and I stumbled across them by █ █ accident myself, but I'm fucking glad that I did. █ █ The band's first record "Mystery of Illusion" █ █ honestly isn't anything worth writing home about, █ █ as it's solid, but it just can't compete with this █ █ greatly improved sophomore album, a record █ █ boasting epic atmospheres, catchy hooks and █ █ fantastic melodies throughout. █ █ "Ruler of the Wasteland" starts off with the title █ █ track and immediately the listener is grabbed by █ █ the shredding solos and the catchy Judas █ █ Priest-inspired riff that follows. But then the █ █ vocals come in, and I'm sure if I didn't tell you █ █ or you didn't look it up yourself, you would never █ █ guess that Chastain was fronted by a female in █ █ Leather Leone. Her vocals are plenty aggressive █ █ (well, as far as power metal goes. Think David █ █ Wayne of Metal Church), but there are also plenty █ █ of moments where she hits the real high notes and █ █ she does so with the greatest of ease. The range █ █ of Leone's vocals is a definite highlight on this █ █ album, as it provides the listener with some added █ █ variety to the already varied music. Some of the █ █ tracks are typical power metal tunes that feature █ █ typical riffage and shredding solos galore, with █ █ "One Day to Live" and "Fighting to Stay Alive" █ █ being the main ones to follow this archetype. █ █ Tracks like "The King Has the Power" and "There █ █ Will Be Justice" travel a more unorthodox route, █ █ using the bass as the focal point of the music at █ █ points and mixing in the acoustic sections with █ █ the rest of the music, but the songs are fine █ █ nonetheless. █ █ Of course, I said Chastain has their epic material █ █ and that's really when they're at their best. █ █ "Angel of Mercy" is the best track on "Ruler of █ █ the Wasteland" with its chilling intro, terrific █ █ riffs, stellar melodies and solos, and of course █ █ the soaring vocals that top everything off. I █ █ guarantee this song will be stuck in your head for █ █ a while. "Living in a Dreamworld" and "The Battle █ █ of Nevermore" are also pretty epic in their own █ █ right, though they just can't measure up to the █ █ brilliance of "Angel of Mercy" (Then again, that █ █ would be asking too much). "Ruler of the █ █ Wasteland" is just another awesome album that came █ █ out in the year where so many masterpieces were █ █ released that it unfortunately got lost in the █ █ shuffle, but that's no reason to doubt the █ █ top-notch material here, so check out Chastain █ █ immediately or heads will rollà █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ After hearing this release and "The Voice of the █ █ Cult", I'm really surprised there's hardly any █ █ reviews for this band here, so far. This band has █ █ absolutely everything needed to be a great █ █ classic, out there with Omen, Attacker, Judas █ █ Priest, Metal Church, Iron Maiden, Jag Panzer, █ █ just to name a few. Although I've heard other █ █ albums from them probably just as good as this █ █ one, I decided to review this one first since its █ █ the earliest one I have, and kind of comes off as █ █ the most aggressive. The performance here with █ █ each musician is top notch, giving this a lot of █ █ energy and power. This album is definitely fast, █ █ furious riffs, quick combo's of drumming, and █ █ great melodic vocals are to be found here. █ █ The one thing that impressed me the most about █ █ this album, and half this bands history is █ █ vocalist Leather Leone. If I didn't pay attention █ █ to the information about this band, and didn't █ █ know the vocalist is a woman, I probably would █ █ have had absolutely no clue. You can't really tell █ █ at all, and she's got an extremely nice and █ █ aggressive voice. Her singing could probably be █ █ best compared to David Wayne or Mike Howe, both █ █ from Metal Church. She can hit those high notes █ █ extremely easily, and carries them on █ █ effortlessly, and she gives off tons of aggression █ █ when needed. Her range is just downright awesome. █ █ I really didn't know what to expect when I saw the █ █ vocalist was female, but I was completely knocked █ █ out of my seat when I finally listened to them. █ █ Again, you can't even tell. Then again this could █ █ possibly be a minor and pointless detail for many █ █ out there. I just honestly have not heard a lot of █ █ female vocalists in my time when it comes to metal █ █ and my experiences with some (see Scanner's █ █ "Scrantropolis" album) weren't the greatest, but █ █ my opinion on what they can do changed with █ █ Chastain. █ █ There really aren't any bad moments here on this █ █ album. The balance is nice, and this is overall █ █ top notch fast Heavy Metal. There's enough █ █ atmosphere here at times to give them kind of a █ █ dark image every once and awhile. There's even a █ █ few epic songs on here, like "The Battle of █ █ Nevermore". Expect a lot of choruses with the █ █ great Leone, but these definitely aren't filled █ █ with cheese or too happy for the picky folks. All █ █ in all, I think the majority of this band could be █ █ seen as Metal Church's sister (hence the female █ █ vocals!). The sound and styles are pretty similar, █ █ but Chastain manages to come off as slightly more █ █ straight forward and possibly easier to get into, █ █ not that Metal Church is bad in anyway (trust me, █ █ I love them). Definitely a high recommendation for █ █ the fans of traditional 80's metal. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Ruler of the Wasteland 3:46 ░ ░ 2. One Day to Live 4:06 ░ ░ 3. The King Has the Power 3:03 ░ ░ 4. Fighting to Stay Alive 3:54 ░ ░ 5. Angel of Mercy 5:14 ░ ░ 6. There Will Be Justice 4:13 ░ ░ 7. The Battle of Nevermore 5:08 ░ ░ 8. Living in a Dreamworld 3:26 ░ ░ 9. Children of Eden 4:21 ░ ░ 37:11 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░