When a melodic orchestration is skillfully composed it can tell stories even better than actual vocals, even the harmonious type. In extreme Metal the experience can be intensified as the music bears less charm and more features of aggression. Nevertheless, not everything in this music, like in any kind, is carved in stone, especially when epic like tales are in order. The German LAST HANGMEN, so similar to their countrymen of SUIDAKRA, bear the gifts, and feathers, of melodic Death Metal just the old Gothenburg style ordered. Just before the first stroke of 2012 they released their debut album "Servants Of Justice", via Twilight Vertrieb, which presented the other side of the gallows that turned out to be quite attractive, well at least musically speaking.

For a debut release I think that LAST HANGMEN made a big step. Though I wrote many times before that true melodic Death Metal in the vein of old AT THE GATES, IN FLAMES and DARK TRANQUILLITY met its demise as soon as Metalcore ruined its glamour, maybe I was slightly mistaken in my perception. "Servants Of Justice" can be considered as a close counterpart to albums such as "Slaughter Of A Soul" and "The Jester Race", especially when it comes to the melodic and harmonic side of the music. The addition of the epic feel only helped lifting the album's grandeur. The intro of "The Gallow March" and the outro of "Withdraw The Hangmen!" made me feel as if I was witnessing a theatric play along with a smooth plot that was segmented by rough spots that didn't seem to have connection between them, at least from what I perceived.

"Little Ease" stands out as the most assorted made on the album, it is the nearest thing to a harmony between Death and Power Metal. Though the other tracks bestow the same qualities of melodic Metal, this song showed how important is the role of the lead guitarist in the band, which in this case helped to shape the bright light that shines upon the entire release. The keyboards, which elevated tracks like the epic "Knocking Tombstones Down", has been essential throughout the album as well while broadening the feeling of vastness, a quality pretty common in these type of albums yet effective.

I would urge you to listen to this album at least more than once to inhibit its spirit. I assume that even CHILDREN OF BODOM fans would also get a kick out of this one though don't expect too much wild guitar showcases.