Victory : ” Gods Of Tomorrow ” LP & CD 26Th November 2021 AFM Records. Germany Heavy Metal band.
Well, some of us old rockers have been waiting for far too long to hear Herman Frank’s guitar delighting our senses, ten years to be exact, but with the release of ‘Gods of Tomorrow,’ we are happy to have his band back in our lives, where they belong, with thirteen new tracks for our eager ears.
From the opening swaggering riff of ‘Love and Hate’, Victory is back, with a great chorus to top it off, and vocalist Gianni Pontillo is given the chance to demonstrate his considerable vocal range. The boys crank up the pace for the second, and title track, with a punchy riff and plenty of guitar licks to remind us of what we’ve been missing, but the overall quality and production of the record also allow the listener to hear what’s cooking in the rhythm section, Michael Stein on drums and Malte Frederik Burkert on bass driving things along in tight combination.
‘Dying in your arms’ is the only ballad on the record, and showcases Gianni’s versatility with some soulful and bluesy crooning. However, that lovely thick and rich sound of the guitars returns for the next track, ‘Hold on to me’, a tune with a juicy solo and sing-along chorus. ‘Into the light’ is another blaster, and rolls into a very interesting track, ‘Mad’, probably my second favorite track on the record, again the polished guitar sound gives that touch of class. ‘My own Desire’ would make a good single, punctuated with some serious double bass drumming from Michael, before my favorite cut, ‘On Fire’.
Check it out:
Do you ever sit in your car at a set of traffic lights and some kid pulls alongside with that godawful drum and bass polluting the air? This is just when you need ‘On Fire’ to hand, its snarling guitars and rocking rhythm serve to remind everyone what proper music really sounds like.
Open your windows, crank up the volume and share the love! I don’t often headbang when reviewing albums through my headphones, but ‘On Fire’ had my old lady asking me if I was feeling ok because it’s impossible to listen to it without headbanging. ‘Rising Force’ is another up-tempo workout for the band’s muscular riffs and soaring vocals, which Victory does so well without losing control, sounding smooth and dynamic while retaining shape.
Second guitarist Mike Pesin compliments Frank’s sound throughout this thoroughly enjoyable offering from Victory, and it’s so good to hear original music being played with such style and elegance. We’ve had to wait ten years for some new music from the band, but their sound is timeless classic rock, let’s hope to see Victory on the road in Europe in ’22, and don’t forget to bring your air guitar!
Written by Dave Russell
