One of the very first classic records (they were still called records then) I cut my metal baby teeth on was Iron Maiden’s ‘Somewhere In Time’, which still remains my all-time favorite album by them. In the years that have followed since then, traditional metal has fallen by the wayside in favor of whatever the newest trend may be, with only a few bands like Nevermore, Symphorce, Slough Feg, and a handful of notable others sticking to the path of ambitious, rambunctious flat-out heavy metal glory.

A relatively recent addition to this short and powerful list, are drummer Chris Black, guitarist Matt Johnsen, vocalist Tim Aymar, and bassist Chris Kerns, the four men who collaborate to form the entity known as Pharaoh. Now, I know I’ve thrown out a couple really high scores lately (actually, get used to it, because there’s more on the way), but in this case, you’d have to be truly deaf not to recognize the grace and magnificence of ‘The Longest Night’ if you’re any sort of fan of traditional, thrash, or power metal that lacks any cheese, or bubblegum filler.

Far from being a rehash of past epics from the 80’s, ‘The Longest Night’ has the potential to be a modern classic in the making. I tried to be critical of this album, really I did. I wanted to find fault with the larger-than-life chorus of magnificent opening number ‘Sunrise’. If I could have found any fault with the eloquent introspection of the beautifully sung ‘In The Violet Fire’, then it would be done. If there was a crack in the stainless armor of the brave metal anthem ‘Fighting’, I’d point it out with a flashlight and magnifying glass, but there’s no flaw to be found there. This is pure metal, all metal, and nothing but metal.

Matt Johnsen has a very clever talent of arranging layered, astute riffs on top of each other in a mercurial, consummate fashion. There’s a lot of fleeting, delicate detail added to each and every passage, with a mingling of equal parts technique, personality, flash, and substance. It’s an unbeatable combination, and a meticulously executed one as well. The Kerns/Black bass and drum team also play a noticeably vital role in the success of steady, calculated tunes like ‘Endlessly’, and show unrelenting power during the pummeling gallop of ‘I Am The Hammer’. By the way, as far as song titles go, that particular one just fucking spits “metal” like so much molten phlegm, befitting the firestorm of refined, lethal musical dynamics the song undertakes. Jackassery isn’t suffered lightly on this exercise, for this is metal with visible intent, and uncompromising vision, and there is no place here for weakness.

This brings me to the brightest gem in this crown of class act metallic righteousness, vocalist extraordinaire, Tim Aymar. It would be very easy to sit back and compare him to such stalwarts as Halford, Tate, Dane, and Wayne because of Tim’s unique and instantly identifiable voice, but I think he deserves a little better than a lazy match-up alongside people far too many reviewers use for comparison to begin with. People need to start comparing other great newer vocalists to Tim Aymar, because this man does not fuck around whatsoever. His high notes? Don’t play this album too loudly around fine crystal, that’s all I have to say, because the bridge and chorus to ‘Endlessly’ would surely destroy your collection.

With a pitch-perfect, midranged tenor that dominates from beginning to end, Aymar shows just why Chuck Schuldiner thought so highly of his talent and ability to perform with a commanding presence as frontman for Chuck’s Control Denied project. The range and scope of the many multi-textured vocal harmonies is breathtaking on the somber/explosive ‘By The Night Sky’, and the smokin’ chorus of the simply fantastic ‘Like A Ghost’, a song I’ve been driving my roommates positively crazy with my repeatedly hitting the “replay” button. This is one of those songs you use a weapon against those who doubt the talent, dignity, and superlative songwriting ability that no-bullshit metal at it’s finest has to offer. Sublime.

I would suggest right now as you’re reading this, to go over to the Cruz Del Sur website, and sample all the helpings of ‘The Longest Night’ that they have up for legitimate investigation. The production could have been tweaked ever-so-slightly just to give the riff extravaganza more breathing room, but otherwise, the sonics are outstanding, especially when played through a really rock-solid system. The songwriting is so varied, and well-tailored to suit the different moods and demeanor of each individual song, telling each chapter with disparate, riveting anecdotes. This really is a stunning piece of work, and an album I’ve literally had to force myself to take out of the CD player in order to review other things. This has already cemented a place in my year-end list, and I cannot recommend it enough to traditional metal enthusiasts. Pharaoh rules, and it’s simple as that. Buy, or pose forever.

This entry was posted by Dekompoze on Monday, 6th March, 2006 at 12:44 and is filed under Reviews, Pharaoh. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response below. You may view a   printable version of this page. You may download this page in   PDF format.