'Loyal To None' is the long awaited debut release from German guitarist Herman Frank. Although Frank's first claim to fame came was as a member of juggernaut metallic blitz krieg German metal legends ACCEPT, in the 80's Herman Frank arguably became synonymous with his personal band VICTORY.
Logically metal fans would expect "Loyal To None" to sound like his previous outings. That is partly true, this album is indeed a mixture of Accept and Victory ,that has been injected with annabolic steriods!
Without a doubt this is much heavier, louder and infinitely more aggressive than Accept, Victory and even Moon 'Doc. Herman unleashes the wildest riffs and melodies he has ever come up with. The opening "Moon Li" pulls you in then without warning as Herman and the band rip your souls apart with hard rock fury on numbers like, "7 Stars", "Father Buries Son" and "Heal Me". Stefan Schwarzmann goes mental on his drum set throughout the album, while bass player Peter Pichl makes sure he seals the deal with his "no nonsense" rhythm section/engine. Still, the real surprise probably comes with lead vocalist Jiotis Parcharidis formerly of "Human Fortress", a prodigy in his own right whose endless passion and tireless aggression make him the edge of the spear called "Loyal To None". So, is this release better than Accept? Dare I say it... yes, simply because it is heavy, melodic, passionate and aggressive, and above all youthful!
All songs on "Loyal To None" are power dynamites, but if one is qualified to cause the listener a heart attack then be forewarned, this album will shake your soul. This is so refreshing a debut that it deserves to be played louder than loud! "Loyal To None" is definitely on my list for one of the best Metal releases in 2009.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
