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RECEIVER
Whispers Of Lore

Gates Of Hell (2023)
Rating: 7/10

If ever there was a record high on the bass lines of Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris it’s this one. Receiver takes the old school gallops of Maiden, throw in dashes of Judas Priest and channel 1980 for good measure.

This is pretty basic, crisply melodic and even fragile, which may lead some detractors to ask why this Cypriot act didn’t tease out a demo or EP first. Even so, the androgynous vibrato soars of Nikoletta Kyprianou boast a charm as she channels Geddy Lee of Rush, but the sound in general lopes with little variety.

The light-hearted textures nod towards the more esoteric whispers of Cirith Ungol and Brocas Helm but without the arcane punch. The drums are bouncy, the guitars remain fluid and at times the traditional metal flavours remind me of some the interesting Greek acts doing the rounds although Receiver are a touch less convincing even with the gloomier aesthetic that flows through CD bonus cut ‘Prowess And Decay’.

Elsewhere, ‘Starchaser’ clunks with its Steve Harris-like bass gallop, ‘Arrow’ borders on the epic but seems too tepid and ‘Trespasser’ sees Nikoletta finally soak her vocals in smoke. So, Receiver is at times too meek, occasionally stark and repetitive suggesting that the combo wasn’t quite ready for the full-length experience. However, I’ll still gladly follow the band and look forward to their next release.

Neil Arnold

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