2004-05-18
Man, these guys kick ass.
The band dates back quite a while, their first release, under the moniker of "big heat"
Came out way back in 92', the band then changed its name to stigmata, and put out three albums, the third of which, the court of eternity, I had the brains to purchase, it is an album which I consider to be one of my all time great metal albums, punishing, quality metal, with a great vocalist, well written metal, and excellent songs.
I actually lost track of the band after that, they've changed their name again due to another band already bearing that name, this time to stigma IV, I was actually lucky enough to find the two studio albums they released since, both excellent releases,
And now, I actually received their newest offering, Hell Within, and as I said- it kicks ass!
As usual, they have a great cover for the album, but the tracks inside are even better,
, The furious "Mental Power" kicks things up into high gear, Ritchie Krenmaier's
Harsh, yet melodic vocals accentuate the best the band has to offer, namely, solid metal, done with Finesse and great musical Capabilities all round.
Point of no return is another mid-tempo winner, showing off the guitar player's amazing technique, which is best displayed during the lead in the epic The Last Stand.
The fact that this band is yet a major player world-wide is unacceptable; this is one of the year's best releases, and an immediate favorite of mine.
Rock on, stigma IV!
Alon Miasnikov
