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The riffs! The riffs! If Quasimodo played guitar instead of church bells, this is likely the kind of music he would play. Pharoah Overlord are Finland’s finest retro-metal activists and this, clearly, is their 4th record. By the first 30 seconds of album opener ‘Now We Know’ you’ll know what to expect – riffage of the highest order. Chugging like a freight train full of weighty steel over a rickety bridge, the secret to Pharaoh’s success is that every track is essentially the same, so if you like one – you’ll love ‘em all. Here’s a trick, fire your hairdresser, buy a black teeshirt and leave it in the washing machine for a few weeks, stop taking showers and play this cd LOUD. Then and only then will you be initiated into the world of the metaller. I am left wondering whether this lovely subculture ever made it to Finland or if these guys are out on their own? Whatever the back story ‘#4’ is a rollocking ride of a record.
(Boomkat)