Review by Paddy Gallagher for MPM
It’s good to clear the decks, clear the head and just get down and rock out to a straight ahead, no nonsense, melodic album with riffs, powerful vocals and blues-tinged soul!
Elegant Weapons sophomore release does that and then some! It is titled “Evolution” as a nod to the progress the band has made in songwriting, lyrics and direction, plus a change in rhythm section personnel.
The pedigree of the musicians plying their trade here leaves you in no doubt of where this will go. Built primarily around the heavy riffs and solos which smoke off Richie Faulkner’s fretboard, the Judas Priest guitarist’s reputation from his day job gives advance notice of what he is capable of. Add the pure rocking vocals of Ronnie Romero (famous for his work with Power Metal luminaries Lords of Black and The Ferrymen and stints with Michael Schenker Group, Vandenberg and Rainbow) and we have a band playing good old school melodic heavy metal that brings a smile to your face as you reminisce.
The all-important rhythm section is comprised of Christopher Williams, 11-year veteran of the Accept drumkit who is now making his Elegant Weapons studio debut and replacing Judas Priest’s Scott Travis in the process; plus, bassist Dave Rimmer, whose past endeavours include Uriah Heap, replacing Rex Brown of Pantera fame. As if the line-up of musicians wasn’t a roll call of the great and good, we have Andy Sneap on production duties. Andy and Richie know each other well having spent numerous hours on the road and on stage with each other in Judas Priest, forming a close working relationship which adds to the precision tight feels of vintage tinged melodic heavy metal present.
“Evil Eyes” starts us off with every component you’d expect from an opener which lays the foundations of what’s to follow; pacy, guitar to the fore and soaring vocals. And follow they dutifully do on second track “Generation Me”.
“Bridges Burn” with its blistering solo from Richie and throaty vocals from Ronnie leads to the bluesy riffs of “Holy Roller”. “Come Back to Me” is a bluesy ballad and features the first of two appearances on the Hammond Organ by Adam Wakeman, album closer “Keeper of the Keys” being the second.
Many of the riffs and drum parts were written a few years back, around the time of writing for debut album “Horns for a Halo” but the band weren’t satisfied with how they sat with the tracks on the debut, thus they were stored and subsequently revisited evolving into what you hear here; tracks like “The Devil Calls”, “Thrown To The Wolves” and “Shooting Shadows” are packed with memorable passages and melodies, there are no weak tracks, no fillers, just pure, feel good metal.
We even get an instrumental, “Rupture” inspired by Richie’s recent health issues complete with pulsing heartbeat, thumping away behind the tastefully strummed guitar for the first 38 seconds before the build-up continues to the chugging riff at 1:29 seconds.
Album closer, “Keeper of the Keys” is the second ballad on the album and second track to feature Adam Wakeman on the keys and is a call back to the power ballad vibes of a bygone era; classy blues feels on guitar, a Deep Purple / Whitesnake vibe with the Hammond and a soulful vocal from Ronnie.
This album lays the base for a possible future career path for Richie Faulkner when the inevitable day dawns and mother nature takes its course resulting in the retirement of Judas Priest, an event that Richie himself has stated should result in the cessation of Priestly activities if no original members remain present.
The two albums released so far by Elegant Weapons, 2023’s debut “Horns for a Halo” and now, 2026’s “Evolution” are fine slabs of quality melodic metal worthy of inclusion in your collection and are obviously more than just a side project.
With Evolution, Elegant Weapons solidify their identity as a band defined not simply by pedigree, but by forward momentum.
TRACK LISTING
RACK LISTING
1. Evil Eyes
2. Generation Me
3. Bridges Burn
4. Holy Roller
5. Come Back to Me
6. The Devil Calls
7. Thrown to the Wolves
8. Shooting Shadows
9. Rupture
10. Mercy of the Fallen
11. Keeper of the Keys
For more information, visit ExciterRecords.com
