Phantom X This is War

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

Medieval metal. Medieval metal! MEDIEVAL METAL! It is tough to come up with another term to describe This Is War, the latest release from Dallas-based rockers Phantom-X.

Formed in 2004 by former members of Omen, Phantom-X puts out high volume and high intensity old school metal, and takes no prisoners. With song lyrics drenched in blood and reeking of war and death, they take the spirit of Saxon’s “Crusader” and blend it with the bone crushing power of Manowar, Iron Maiden and old Judas Priest to come up with a unique and over-the-top style.

Vocalist Kevin Goocher has an interesting voice – a combination of Ripper Owens, Paul Di’Anno and a little bit of Animal (the crazy drummer from the Muppet Show band). He uses it well, providing a broad range of sound from guttural roars to clear singing to an almost falsetto high, and he is always clear and understandable. Guitarist Bill Engfer lays down some very intense rhythm lines and energetic solos, and also has a chance to do some softer acoustic interludes (but not many). Bassist Glenn Malicki and drummer Reece Stanley work well together and provide a constant galloping bottom end. The album seems to be engineered to get as much “boom” out of these guys as possible.

The CD opens with a very cheesy spoke word piece, “Call To Arms,” and all sorts of interesting background sounds reminiscent of Saxon’s intro to “Crusader.” The musical energy stays high throughout the disc and the unfortunately so do most of the lyrics. While very well written, the theme of the songs never strays far from war and just about every track mentions war, blood and battle. Due to this fact and the constant high energy level it becomes difficult to differentiate one track from the next – it sort of beats the listener to death.

“Forever Midnight” is one of the best tracks on the album featuring strong vocals and great musicianship from each member of the band. Some other musical highlights are the great bass intro to “Chaos In Paradise”, the rollicking rhythm line of “Into Battle We Ride,” the amazing acoustic piece “Twilight,” and the big booming drums throughout.

All in all, This Is War is ultimately disappointing. Phantom-X brings a ton of musical talent and incredible amounts of energy to their music, but it quickly wears the listener out. Mixing in a few tracks with different themes or a less intense tone would have made this release much more palatable to the average listener. If you are into high-energy music that beats your eardrums beat into oblivion (or enjoy “Lord of The Rings”-type sword and sorcery stuff) then pick it up, but otherwise let this one pass.

Label: Perris Records

Web: http://www.myspace.com/phantomxmetal

Track Listing:

01. Call To Arms
02. This Is War
03. Forever Midnight
04. Chaos In Paradise
05. Into Battle We Ride
06. A Strange World
07. The Lord Of The Sword
08. Twilight
09. Blood Of Eden
10. Discovery
11. Whore Of Babylon
12. Cries In The Night
13. Deep Six

HRH Rating: 6/10