Keepers of Jericho part II

Well here is the sequel to the relatively successful Helloween tribute cd Keepers of Jericho. Unlike part one Keepers of Jericho part II doesn't have many big name bands like Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica, Luca Turilli, or Metalium, Part II has mainly Arise records bands, most relatively unknown and several of them hit the nail on the head and deliver great cover versions while others seem to miss the mark completely. The only band on this disc that is instantly familiar,Iron Savior, opens up with their version of Phantoms of Death. I love Iron Savior's cds but this song seems to be lacking. It is played with precision and everything but it just doesnt make me excited it seems sterile and forced almost. Steel Attack is up next and they do a mediocore version of Dr Stein. The main drawback of this particular cover version is the not so great vocals that just get on my nerves after awhile. Track three is Powergod doing a ripping take on Starlight. They kill on this track, it is fast, it is aggressive and it is heavy. Some great raw, rough sounding vocals give this a gritty edge that accents the song perfectly. Celesty is up with The Chance, its eh. Nothing too horribly bad but nothing great either a spot on cover but at least its listenable. I have no idea who in the hell Beto Vasquez Infinity is but he has Elisa from Dark Moor on vocals doing A Tale that Wasn't Right a gutsy choice picking a ballad, but it is terrific. The music is true to the original but Elisa's vocals are amazing, they're mournful and brooding and emotional all at the same time, she and Dark Moor really deserve more attention. Paragon is next and their song to cover is Metal Invaders. Its much like Celesty's version of The Chance. Its a spot on cover with some excellent double harmony solos. The second half of this disc starts with Arwen with a very brave pick, March of Time. Time is perhaps Helloween's most underrated songs and a unanimous fan favorite. It might be that I love the original too much but this version just left me waiting for more. It's listenable but it doesnt do justice to the power of the original, Freternia is next with Murderer and they pull it off excellently. Like Powergod, Freternia picked a rough and raw song and just went in and played their asses off, speedy and melodic this gets much play time in my stereo. An absolute killer track is next Gorgar covered by Vhaldemar. I have never heard of Vhaldemar before but I will check them out based on this song. They do a fist pumpin midtempo, crunchy, HEAVY version of this Helloween classic. The guitar tone is perfect the awesome rough vocals that border screaming, the huge gang choruses "GORGAR WILL EAT YOU....GORGAR!!!" this is perfect for driving around with the windows down and the stereo at maximum volume. Next band up is Dragonland and surprisingly they chose a song from the Master of the Rings album instead of everyone else doing Walls of Jericho, Keeper I or Keeper II. Another headbanging tune although it doesnt show off the Dragonland sound, the heroic epic metal side, istead its more of a true metal/traditional metal cover version but still a highlight. The last true good song on here is Axenstar covering Twilight of the Gods. Its another straight cover but its played with style and conviction. The rest of the album kinda just peters out with some not so good covers by Highlord and Red Wine doing Power and Rise and Fall. How much you like Keepers of Jericho part II depends on how much you love Helloween. Id say pick this up cheap if you find it as its not half as good as the Keepers of Jericho part I tribute. If you dont have part I, get it, if you dont have this, well dont lose any sleep over it.