Perhaps one of the most legendary outfits to come out of Seattle, USA, alongside metal giants like Queensrÿche, Metal Church and Sanctuary, Fifth Angel took the scene by storm with their awesome homonym debut album in 1986. Shortly after releasing another gem in ‘Time Will Tell’ (1989), though, former vocalist Ted Pilot, Ed Archer (guitars) and Ken Mary (drums) decided to call it quits, only to reform in 2010 to headline one of the greatest festivals in the world to me, the iconic Keep It True Festival. Warmed by their reception and sparkled by another sold-out crowd at Keep It True 2017, Mary, John Macko (bass) and Kendall Bechtel (guitars, vocals) teamed-up in the studio to release their highly anticipated third album, ‘The Third Secret’.
While – of course – this doesn’t stand a chance against the marvelous work put out in the 80’s, the Seattle natives managed to do a great job in terms of mixing old and new, with flairs of their heydays and many modern elements that work today (not too many, thank Odin), which took form in a respectable and fun comeback, that actually gives the impression that these dudes were active all this time, and not on a 22+ years hiatus.
Opener “Stars Are Falling” gives us a taste of what’s to come by being a good balance between melodic and heavy, with Kendall Bechtel debuting his Dio-esque vocals on a high note. Catchy and relevant, the song chases away all doubts and proves that Fifth Angel is still in form.
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“We Will Rise” is another great tune with an even catchier chorus and stellar guitar work by Bechtel, especially in the main riffs. The next trio of songs is not quite on par with the powerful beginning, but still manages to keep the spirits high: “Queen of Thieves” has the same rhythm throughout its whole course and fails to be impactful. “Dust to Dust” antagonizes with this with a cool heavy/power atmosphere and good tempo, especially when looking at Ken Mary’s drum work which provides a healthy dose of strength. Sadly, “Can You Hear Me?” drops a bucket of cold water in the album dynamic so far because of its sorrowful, emotional aura and so-so execution, which hurts the overall experience.
“This Is War” punches you in the face yet again with killer leads and a bombastic chorus. It reminds me of a Herman Frank type of song in the sense of being straightforward and crunchy at its maximum. Next up is “Fatima”, which was a very difficult song to review. It stands in a limbo between being a full song and an intro to the title track, so it doesn’t actually features any standout point worth mentioning except for the fact that it’s an atmospheric semi-ballad.
The title-track, for that matter, lacks in enthusiasm and it’s just too common a song to carry an album name. I would even call it bland, because of the wrong choice for speed and the overall neutered songwriting in the track. From this moment on, though, the album takes a huge turn and Fifth Angel graces us with the best songs here: “Shame on You” and “Hearts of Stone”.
In the most US-power way possible, both tracks are filled with pure, raw energy and represent the greatest side of a band like Fifth Angel: no frills, full-on bombastic attacks of inspiration and love for metal. “Shame on You” is faster and thrilling, and “Hearts of Stone”, best song in the entire album, has a marvelous stride to it, with galloping riffs and vicious execution; both have that newer US-power metal vibe akin of Riot V and Attacker that works wonders.
These guys have been away from the metal scene for more than 22 years, and to do a comeback like ‘The Third Secret’ is not a mere feat. With brilliant guitar work and the overall songwriting being more than good, Fifth Angel has managed to gather some great material considering the circumstances that surrounded the band all these years. Like I said in the beginning, this won’t touch the band’s classic albums, but it’s more than worthy of your attention when considering today’s standards. Here’s hoping that this is a fruitful and healthy comeback, and not just a swansong.