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PHANTOM
… Of Gods And Men

Self-released (2014)
Rating: 7.5/10

With the black and white cover showing a set of eerie standing stones occupying an ancient shoreline, I guess I was expecting some sort of doom metal din to emerge from the speakers on this, the debut album from Toronto trio Phantom. Instead, what we do get is a classic metal parade of early 80s-styled metal in the vein of Iron Maiden, Dio and the likes.

It’s nothing new, but it’s as solid as a rock and bestows upon our ears a series of catchy, galloping tunes which are instant experiences, even if this sort of metal is very much the flavour of the month at the moment with hordes of acts jumping on the nostalgia bandwagon. Hey though, like I always say – and I’m starting to bore myself in saying – if it’s done right, then such a recording can have its rewards.

What we get here is old fashioned New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-styled rock, at times with a touch of Thin Lizzy, but more so straight down the line streetwise metal which serves up some mini-anthems in the form of the racing ‘Children Of The Stars’, which sounds as if it was recorded in 1983 but rediscovered in some dusty vault. There’s not really a lot one can say except to put the denim jacket on and spin the air guitar around the room, because the feeling from Phantom is one of fun and enjoyment, although behind the sweat the gimmicks are few and the talent is there for all to see.

Greasy rockers such as ‘Too Young To Die’ are delivered with speed and venom; D.D. Murley’s vocals are simple, clear commanding shouts which are almost punky in their loose nature, and the same could be said for the lively and lethal backdrop of musicians behind him – especially drummer J.J. Blade, who hammers away as if his life is dependent on this release. In a sense, there’s a demo feel about ‘Too Young To Die’, but by having this raw nature it seems to take the Canadian band up a notch and away from the restrictions of contemporary design.

This vitality continues with ‘Blood & Iron’ which features some nice bass work from Necro Hippie, while ‘The King’s Road’ has that same Maiden-esque glare we’ve come to expect from so many bands of today… and yesterday, I suppose. While the track is a tad overlong – especially as an instrumental – it shows maturity within the ranks. At nine songs however, the album seems an ideal length for a band eager to spread its wings but also learn the ropes first. Nevertheless, when one hears the juddering crunch of ‘Of Gods And Men’ or the pure wild metal mayhem of ‘Beyond The Sun’ I’m impressed by the seeming naïvety and primitive punch.

While it’s clear that Phantom has its obvious influences, they are also dab hands at creating authentic sounding heavy metal and while there’s room for improvement, this opus is a nice slice of speedy traditional metal to get the head banging.

Neil Arnold

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