by Joe Mis
— Contributing Writer —
Lately California has become something of a hotbed of new metal acts – perhaps not quite a metal revolution yet, but there had definitely been an upswing of decent music from the “Left Coast”. LA-based PowerTribe is a female-fronted 3-piece outfit, and they’ve tossed their hat into the metal ring and are pulling no punches. Prepare for Battle is everything the title implies – aggressive, intense, and at times combative and brutal (in a good way).
Missy Percifield fronts the band with spirited vocals that range from near operatic bombast to breathy, little-girl innocence, while capably providing intense bass and keyboards. Darren Stroud delivers six-string fireworks with his big guitar riffs, catchy hooks and fills, and superb solos. Keeping time for the band is master drummer John Chominsky (who also plays for LA rockers Edge Of Paradise). These three have gelled into a trio that is greater than the sum of its parts. Their performances are all spot-on and technically excellent. They write mature and meaningful songs, which in the band’s own words are “…driven by social landscapes or human interest.” All their tracks are musically and tonally diverse – they have enough talent and experience to avoid the “cookie-cutter” approach that too many young bands fall into, and they certainly only need to use “female-fronted” as a description and not a crutch.
Spiraling guitars open the thrashy “The Living Envy The Dead,”a track featuring a slow (and somewhat distorted) vocal line over aggressive drums, bass and guitar. Lyrically borrowing a page from the European power metal, this tune deals with the aftermath of war. “Invisible” is a progressive / power metal mix with an intense “wall of sound” opening. Percifield’s vocals are crisp and clear – bordering on operatic at times, and the song’s hyper aggressive rhythm line makes it a winner. Percifield’s keys and rapid-fire bass are a perfect counterpoint for Stroud’s massive guitar chops and Chominsky’s ultra-precise drums. Stroud lays down classically inspired riffs – think Vinnie Moore or Tony MacAlpine – on the instrumental “Flight Of The Enochians”. His guitar work is superb, and this track gives Percifield and Chominsky a great chance to cut loose and show their own virtuoso talents. The influences of Iron Maiden (among others) are apparent in the title track “Prepare For Battle”- Percifield pushes her voice and covers a massive range while Stroud’s lead break is jaw-dropping.
Classical piano opens, and contrasts wonderfully with the balance of the powerful progressive metal anthem “Kill Feed Sleep Repeat.” Chominsky’s complex drum lines somehow manage to steal the spotlight on this one. A touch of Gothic appears on “I Am Here Alive,”a complex, biting and bitter commentary on today’s America featuring numerous tempo and tonal changes. The over-the-top “Burn The Fear” cranks everything up to 11 – drums, guitars, bass, vocals – and puts the “power” in PowerTribe. “Arise” is a more traditional heavy metal track driven by vocals and drums, with Stroud’s best solo in the middle. “Machine Gun Opus” is pure power metal instrumental guitar goodness, mixing Primal Fear with Satriani and Dream Theater. The epic “PowerTribe”wraps the release, and it seems that they’ve saved the most complex and technical track for last. Every influence and genre is pulled into this one, and somehow it all blends nicely and simply works – this IS PowerTribe.
The mix of the album is decent, but not spectacular. A bit more on the bottom end would help bring Percifield’s strong bass and Chominsky’s solid drumming to the fore. In terms of musical talent, PowerTribe lacks nothing. They are a power trio in every sense of the word, and have a great future as long as they continue to follow their own path. Saying that they have “potential” is a mis-statement – PowerTribe has proven their talent without a doubt.
Overall, PowerTribe’s Prepare For Battle is an excellent release, blending American metal / hard rock with elements of the Eurpoean power and symphonic metal genres. Fans of the more aggressive genres, as well as those preferring female-fronted metal owe it to themselves to give PowerTribe a listen. Very highly recommended!
Genre: Heavy / Power Metal
Band:
Darren Stroud (guitars)
Missy Percifield (vocals, bass, keyboards)
John Chominsky (drums)
Track Listing:
1. The Living Envy The Dead
2. Invisible
3. Flight Of The Enochians
4. Prepare For Battle
5. Kill Feed Sleep Repeat
6. I Am Here Alive
7. Burn The Fear
8. Arise
9. Machine Gun Opus
10. PowerTribe
Label: Independent
Website: http://powertribeband.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8.5 / 10)
