Sacred Oath - Darkness Visible

01-Words Upon Stone
02-Battle Cry
03-Queen Of The Night
04-Darkness Visible
05-Prophecy
06-Calm Before The Storm
07-Unholy Man
08-Death Is Inevitable
09-Beyond The Edge Of The Flame
10-The Golden Dawn

Genre : Heavy Metal
Country : USA
Year : 2007

Sacred Oath's history goes back in the mid-eighties. The band was founded in 1985 and released two demos in the early days, which contained the magnificent songs 'Battle Cry' and 'Prophecy'. In 1987 the band's debut album 'A Crystal Vision' was a fact and they toured with Fates Warning. Shortly after that the band fell apart in 1988. Eighteen years later the band was resurrected and twenty years after the debut, this was made available on CD in 2007. The second full-length 'Darkness Visible' is the first real result of the resurrected Oath.

These guys still play the same eighties heavy metal as in their early years, but have also introduced more modern heavy and power metal influences in the music. The opening track 'Words Upon The Stone' is a typical eighties' tune that reminds a bit of Maiden's 'Caught Somewhere In Time'. The good and powerful riffing, beautiful melodies and ditto vocals sound rather traditional. Think of the sound of bands like Maiden, Queensrÿche and of course Fates Warning. Although the new songs are provided with some modern influences, the band has still kept the old-school spirit in general. This has also to do with the fact that they have re-recorded the in the above-mentioned demo tracks and especially 'Battle Cry' sees to a delightful nostalgic feeling. This is by far the best song on this album as far as I'm concerned!

Although the new album is highly enjoyable and is exactly the kind of heavy metal that I like, the high level of their debut is surely not realised. There where 'A Crystal Vision' had not a single weak moment, I'm not equally charmed with the new songs. Especially in the slower pieces in songs like 'Queen Of The Night', 'Unholy Man' and 'Beyond The Edge Of The Flame' the songs seem to fall apart. Fortunately they manage make it up again with a fast part afterwards. But Sacred Oath is a band from which you don't necessarily want to hear slower pieces. The fact that I reckon the (more than twenty years old) demo tracks to the better songs on this record speaks for itself.

With 'Darkness Visible' they have surely released a good heavy metal album that will apply to both old-school fans as to the younger generation. But again: I prefer the debut album. Anyhow, 'Darkness Visible' is surely worth a shot.