You don’t need me to tell you about the importance of Mercyful Fate, or how totally awesome they are. Their impact on heavy metal is comparable to that of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, and that will never change. Why am I kicking off an album review with such sentiment? Well, it’s not because I’ll take any opportunity I can to spread this message near and far, but rather because where Mercyful Fate’s first chapter ends is where Fate, the subject of today’s review, begins. If by chance you find yourself asking, “Who?”, take out your notebooks for a heavy metal history lesson. There might just be a pop quiz.
Come ’85, after releasing an iconic EP and two masterpiece albums, Mercyful Fate were history. There were many factors at play when it came to the band’s demise, the biggest being the dismay of certain members towards King Diamond’s increasingly satanic lyrics. One such member was guitarist Hank Shermann, who quickly formed his own band, Fate. To say this band was a complete musical 180 from their “mercyful” predecessor would be an understatement. Although Fate marked a stark departure from the metallic tales of black masses, cemetery rituals, and witch burnings, that isn’t to say they didn’t dish up some enjoyably kosher euro AOR.
In the decades that followed, Fate went through multiple lineup changes. Shermann himself would depart for good in ’88, while bassist Pete Steiner continued to hold down the fort, as he does so to this day. Spearheaded by Steiner and Scratch’n Sniff era vocalist Per Johansson, Fate are back with their eighth studio album, Reconnect ‘n Ignite. Those expecting a full blown throwback to the band’s ’80s AOR roots might be taken aback by their new euro melodic metal sound, characteristic of fellow elder statesmen Pretty Maids and Bonfire in recent years. However, if you found yourself enjoying 2013’s similarly natured If Not for the Devil, then you’ll more than likely find Reconnect ‘n Ignite to be a fitting, albeit overdue, successor.
The moody delivery and progressive intricacies scattered about this affair are established on the opening “Around the Sun”. Johansson’s voice has grown more gruff with age, akin to David Coverdale, but this delivery suits the heavier material. Cuts like “Running”, “This Won’t Last”, and “Hold On” fuse ’80s AOR nuances with melodic metal sensibilities, while the molten overload of “Reason for Everything” borders on euro power metal territory. Meanwhile, the uptempo wallops of “I’m on Fire”, “Children of a Lesser God”, and the closing “Under the Gun” boast shades of Deep Purple, which is always a welcome influence in my book.
All in all, Reconnect ‘n Ignite is a defiant show of melodic metal force from these Scandinavian veterans. Even if it’s an approach we’ve heard countless times before from plenty on the Frontiers roster, that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Fate owns this harder edged sound, while still managing to pay homage to their AOR beginnings throughout, as there’s no shortage of retro synths and singalong choruses to even out those fiery riffs and solos. Reconnect ‘n Ignite will scratch your hard and heavy itch and sniff your…I’ll let you fill in the blank, Mad Libs style.
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Melodic Heavy Metal
For fans of: Pretty Maids, Bonfire, Jaded Heart