Really thought this band had called it quits...glad I was wrong! The Heavy/Power Metal outfit centered around Greek-born American resident George Tsalikis (many can also recall his name through his demo deeds with fellow American metallers GOTHIC NIGHTS) just released their brand new offering, called Flames Of Rage and the 'rage' word fits like a glove to the band's 2009 attempt.
ZANDELLE gained some rather respected recognition with the release of their self-titled EP back in 1996. Still, a typhoon of lineup and label changes would be the main obstacle for the band to stand on some more solid ground in terms of wider detection. 2009 finds the band inking deal with Germany's Pure Steel Records - an ideal label for ZANDELLE's style - and the primary thing crossing my mind while listening to the first couple of songs off the new album was wow, these guys really mean power! (as if their previous CDs were dressed in sugar, haha!). Maybe - for those who are familiar with the band's discography so far - Flames Of Rage is ZANDELLE's most roaring album in their career.
With the shortest song counting five minutes, you'll be trapped in a typhoon of blistering guitar riffs, sharp metallic leads and energetic rhythm section while listening to Flames Of Rage. Be it the reborn lineup or Tsalikis' creativity, the whole songlist - omit the last one - breathes fire and outburst. With some really rich/complex themes, still far away from being called as progressive (or maybe that's what progression means in Metal music?), ZANDELLE succeeds in creating a 'steel meets steel' atmosphere that surely draws influence from the American Metal standards (JAG PANZER, MANOWAR, HELSTAR, ICED EARTH etc) but also flirts a lot with the European side of metallum (JUDAS PRIEST, GAMMA RAY, early HELLOWEEN).
The result is rather furious, to cut a long story short. Still, the album is not as in-your-face as you may imagine. Depending on Tsalikis' singing or the leads themes, Flames Of Rage can also act as a sample of the theatric or epic side of solid Metal music. Even if exceeding the 'one hour' border, the album is overfilled with interesting work by all players, and the variety is so wide you'll have a hard time saying I'm bored if a close fan of this sub-genre. The last track, Eradicated Existence, needs some special mention as it counts over 20 minutes and can represent the whole album with a tornado of atmospheres, tempo changes, emotional adjustments and - last but not least - some terrific performance by Tsalikis himself, who - by the way - does not have to scream every now and then to confirm his combat will; his melodic lines are equally convincing.
For fans of NEW EDEN, SEVEN WITCHES, JACOBS DREAM, PYRAMAZE or - in other words - furious Power/Heavy Metal music of today, ZANDELLE is a class A choice. Flames Of Rage is highly recommended, indeed; this album smells Metal.

Flames Of Rage (Music Video)