With their timeline stretching back to 1997, and now 8 releases under their belt, our Celtic brothers have stood the test of time in the ugly realm known as the Music Business. It is a harsh mistress, but lo, Peter Scheu and his fellow mates have persevered and ridden out the storms, with good reason. "The Call" is their latest release, combining some interesting aspects of metal, Celtic, and Folk themes to bring forth a rugged, almost rustic sounding album. This proved to be an interesting journey for yours truly.

I am quite fond of the Pagan / Folk / Viking bands, and relish the opportunity to review such music, with this being no exception. As a whole, I found "The Call" to have some bright moments of metal mixed with a few not so shining moments. The vocals are very traditional, with a few songs such as "Princess Of Destruction" having a few screams to rile the listener. The backing vocals weren't always on the mark, and at times, a wee bit painful, especially on "Varus Battle". The guitar work is pretty good, driving and free spirited, with at times, a Power Metal feel to it such as on "Love Song". "Chains Of Captivity" has some great solos on it. The keyboards are almost non-existent, which is unfortunate since they can lend so much to a song. Drum work is good but standard, which the same for the bass. Not bad by any means, but throughout most of the songs they are just, there. The production quality isn't the best with the album sounding very bottom heavy. Again, not bad but not stellar either.  For a rating, I would say a 6 out of 10. Until next time, stay well, and live free!