Pegazus | In Metal We Trust
by Nikiforos Skoumas
Staff Writer
Almost a decade past their last album, Australian heavy metal group Pegazus re-emerge with In Metal We Trust. Pegazus play old-school heavy metal though labeling them a New Wave of British Heavy Metal band would not do the Melbourne based quintet justice as they insist on crystal clear production. Pegazus feature lead singer Justin Fleming, guitarist Johnny Stoj, bassist Cory Betts and drummer Ange Sotiro.
Musically Pegazus draws strongly from Judas Priest; with the drum sound, the riffs, the rhythm guitars, even the solos directly referencing the iconic British group. Lead singer Justin Fleming deviates from the above paradigm by bringing mid/bass vocals to the sound of the group. It is important to note that Pegazus actually takes as basis for their compositions, the more anthem style, fist pumping compositions of Judas Priest (instead of the faster material) and shapes the songs on In Metal We Trust in similar fashion. There is consistent double-bass drumming though not particularly fast, in addition, the twin guitar leads perfectly complement the vocal melodies while the riff-age sounds too reminiscent of classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal songs-which one could say is part of the nature of playing classic-styled heavy metal.
To a certain extent In Metal We Trust is a celebration of the music and lifestyle of a metal head; therefore themes like standing one’s ground, reflecting on the ‘good old days’ and remaining committed to spreading heavy metal, are the inescapable subjects addressed on this album. On that count, Pegazus have embraced the clichés that come with the music, though admittedly the end result works to their advantage. The song-titles alone are totally indicative of the approach of Pegazus; “Road Warrior,” “We Live to Rock” and “Old Skool Metal Dayz” are examples of this.
There is a rebellious attitude to the new album bringing to front the kind of social protest found on the earlier Twisted Sister, Skid Row and W.A.S.P. records. At this point, one can not escape but give credit to the band as it seems they are performing first and foremost the music they enjoy with little concern about being original or fashionable which, in a sense, is the cornerstone of heavy metal philosophy.
Overall, In Metal We Trust is a pretty enjoyable, heavy metal album, perhaps not the most original but its concept never seems to grow dated. Pegazus has clearly the potential to appeal to a wide range of metal and rock fans particularly those living the “Old School” dream.
Band:
Justin Fleming- vocals
Johnny Stoj- guitars, vocals
Cory Betts- bass
Ange Sotiro.-drums
Track list:
01. Metal Messiah
02. Road Warrior
03. Old Skool Metal Dayz
04. We Live To Rock
05. Haunting Me
06. Eye For An Eye
07. Ghost Rider
08. Metal Gods
09. End Of The World
10. Death Or Glory
11. Old Skool Metal Dayz * (extended version)
Band website: http://www.pegazusofficial.com/
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10