VAN CANTO - To The Power Of Eight (Napalm Records)

English:CD-review
  Van Muylem    22 augustus 2021

Prepare for a unique vocal offering smashing in with full force - and louder than any guitar! German acapella metal masters VAN CANTO return with their energetic Rakkatakka-power and are set to release their eighth inimitable offering,To The Power Of Eight, on June 4, 2021 via Napalm Records.


Bringing pure vocal power to the metal world since 2006, VAN CANTO set the stage for their very own genre and never failed in surprising their devotees and beyond, while showcasing that metal can be heavy as hell without any riffage. With their previous full length, Trust in Rust(2018), the German rarity reworked its lineup, consisting of seven members since then. ForTo The Power Of Eight, the unit once again joined forces with Philip DennisSly” Schunke, who had been the lead singer on their first six studio records. Sly joins lead vocalists Inga Scharf and Hagen Hirschmann on all twelve flawless tracks as third vocalist and special guest. It’s clear that this peerless piece of music as written with three voices in mind:To The Power Of Eightembodies a special sense of common bond and presents VAN CANTO in undeniable peak form!

They start with the title track: To the Power of Eight. Slowly building up: adding more voices and a like marching tempo. Sounds to me like the perfect opener for a gig. You get a taste of all the voices withing this very special band! More speeded up and having a real metal feel is the next one: Dead by the Night! This one might become a new hit. I adore the high screams and the power metal feel. Don’t forget to check out the video!

Faith Focus Finish goes a bit slower, but has a glorious feel and fills your batteries whilst listening to it. I adore the oh oh’s as they give it a slice of an 80’s touch. The relance keeps it interesting and keeps the speed up. Falling Down mixes very well all the voices and keeps the tempo up, making it also a great song for gigs (gosh I miss gigs so much). Heads Up High mixes a sweeter sound with a catchy feel and a slice of a retro 80’s touch. I’m pretty sure this might be your favourite track on the album! A very popular track and a great cover is the some from Amon Amarth: Raise Your Horns. Enjoy! I hope the fans will accept it and sing along! Turn Back Time is a slow and mixes again all the voices in a magical way. A big surprise is the high blow coming from the Iron Maiden track: Run to the Hills! Here lead by their female singer (a double surprise): it works well and I really love it! More into a catchy feel with some slices of hard rock is: Hardrock Padlock. Another very know track and a high risk cover is this one from AC/DC: Thunderstruck. They managed well and even found a matching voice for the lead vocals! They kept the power despite changing it completely into their song! From the End is a high speed track with a good vibe and a strong vocal touch with lots of twists. Closing with a flaming cover is always great and this time it’s: I Want It All. Queen fans will be for sure delighted with this new version!

Well: it was worth it! It took me however time to get into the right feel and had to listen a lot to the album (I must say that the covers work really well). Hope to see them for real on stage one day!

VAN CANTO is:
 

Hagen Hirschmann - Lead Vocals
Inga Scharf - Lead Vocals
Ross Thompson - Higher Rakkatakka Vocals
Stefan Schmidt - Lower Rakkatakka Vocals
Jan Moritz - Pad and Bass Vocals
Ingo Sterzinger - Bass and Backing Vocals
Bastian Emig - Drums and Backing Vocals


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Napalm Records