The German metal stalwarts that first raised up such early classics as "Heavy Metal Breakdown" and "War Games" during the early going of the Teutonic metal plague that soon would sweep the nation, strike down hard with their latest offering of true tempered steel in the form of "Excalibur."

Effectively digging their own grave for a time, the team of Chris Boltendahl on vocals and Uwe Lulis wielding the ax, had a merging of the minds at the dawn of the nineties and have roared back stronger than ever in bolstering their latest reputation for creating conceptually elite metal masterpieces.

"Excalibur" is the conclusion (or concussion, if you will) to their recent trilogy that began in '96 with "Tunes of War," and tells the tale from the perspective of The Knights' and the story of the fabled King Arthur and the Round Table in twelve chapters-stick tight for the extra bonus track on the limited edition digipack!

The gruffness of Boltendahl's (Sir Parcival for our purposes here) vocals are firmly embedded within a backdrop of the famed choral arrangement of backing work that grace the likes of "Pendragon," "Excalibur," and "Morgane Le Fay" while intermittently setting a mild tone as the mood suggests-"The Spell," "Emerald Eyes."

And if you listen hard enough in the distance, you're quite likely to pick up on some very familiar voices echoing in the background from the likes of Blind Guardian's Hansi Kursch and Iron Savior's Piet Sielck!

Each "chapter" begins with a quick description of the respective song's inner contents where even the most historically challenged listeners may follow along effortlessly during the outlying rhythmic pounding that harbor a well-intended seriousness to what otherwise might be looked upon as light-hearted folklore.

By chapter ten, "The Final War" tells the story of the final battle between Arthur and his evil nephew Mordred in a firestorm of alternate guitar picking and uptempo ferocity that at its conclusion, The Knights would have had every right to close the cover, blow aside the dust and lay back in admiration-not the case.

"Emerald Eyes" flips the page toward a peaceably done piano opening where Boltendahl struggles to regain his composure in the early going thanks in part to the uncontrolled rousing that took place earlier-this one's a ballad by definition and focuses on the touching final hour between the fallen Arthur and Guinivere, his love.

The last chapter finally draws to a close with "Avalon" where the great King finds his final resting-place-one that remains shrouded in mystery and immortality.

"Parcival," the bonus track, sets off like a thunderous rage almost like an avenger bent on justice-this one's extra fast with canon-like double bass-the last final strike of the sword into the heart of darkness!

Set aside an hour or two, take a couple of deep breaths, and prepare to immerse yourself in a legendary journey into medieval times where swords and shields unite under the pale moonlight of a calm winter evening, and prepare to unlock the secrets of Merlin as the honored guest of the modern day Knights of the Round Table.

Released by Nuclear Blast

Review By Vinnie Apicella

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