SANCTION X
The Last Day
Metal Heaven 2009



Here's a bunch of hardened metal veterans getting together to have another crack at the big time. Vocalist Ebby Panduch has sang in Stonefield and Infinity's Call, guitarist Robby Bˆbel played in Talon and Frontline and drummer Peter Langer was in Stormwitch. So they know their way around melodic, power metal, even if they've never quite broken through to the big time. SO is the one to make their name?

Probably not. Which is a bit of a shame, because Sanction-X are good at what they do. Thing is, there are a helluva lot of bands out there doing it just as well. All the musicians, including bassist Roberto D'Amico and keyboardist Ben Eifert, are top quality, the riffs are hard and memorable, and there are some good songs here. But, really, there isn't anything to lift into the category of essential listening.

It's an album full of mid-tempo grooves, some Dio-esque vocals from Ebby Panduch, and when you hear songs like 'The Calling' and 'Eyes Of A Stranger', you can't help but nod along and smile quietly. But it's a hard knock life out there in power metal land and I don't know whether solid and reliable are words that will get folks to open their wallets. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

© Stuart A Hamilton
Rating *** (3.0/5.0)

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