TIMELESS HAUNT – Dark for Life

March 12, 2022 Bryce Van Patten Album Reviews, Reviews 0
TIMELESS HAUNT - Dark for Life
  • 9/10
    TIMELESS HAUNT - Dark for Life - 9/10
9/10

Summary

Label: Stormspell Records
Release date: March 5, 2021

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Mystery & Metal Makes Magic

Metal fans looking for something a little different, yet the same in a great way should check out last year’s release on Stormspell Records: Timeless Haunt – Dark for Life. The Pennsylvania based group honors the Classic Heavy Metal founders, while adding their own unique flavor to their compositions. The band is fronted by ‘Unknown Vocalist’, a man of mystery with a voice that could handle anything from Savatage (Zach or Jon), to Judas Priest. Rounding out the lineup, the expert bass guitar skills of George Dimitri, John Jesuele hammering on the drums, the tight pyrotechnic guitars of ‘Obscene’ Randy Bobzien, combined with the excellent finesse and layering of Don “The Wizard of” Fortune on keyboards.

Electric Atmosphere

Dark for Life gives us 7 great originals and a cover song that may surprise a few fans as they do a very cool version of Cris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”. The album opens with a dark chant that you’d have to play backwards to get, followed by the epic “Embrace the Haunt”, which has all of the production values and musical chops of any Paul O’Neil era Savatage tune. All of the songs have a mixture of your standard Heavy Metal line-up, with the perfect blend of pianos and keys and acoustic guitars to complete the effect. ‘Unknown Vocalist’ does exactly what’s needed for each song, without over-doing the high screams (though he’s more than capable). The album cover art is incredible, and befitting of a Classic Heavy Metal band.

Final Notes

While you may not have heard of Timeless Haunt before, they are made up of veterans of Heavy Metal. The song writing is mature and catchy, while the overall production is well thought out and tight. While the band states that the resemblance to Savatage is accidental, don’t let that stop you Savatage fans from digging the hell out of this great album. Keep an eye on Timeless Haunt, and do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Dark for Life. You’ll be glad you did.

Timeless Haunt - band photo

Lineup

George Dimitri – bass, keyboards, vocals
John Jesuele – drums, percussion
‘Obscene’ Randy Bobzien – guitars
Don “The Wizard of” Fortune – keyboards
Unknown Vocalist – vocals

Dark for Life – Tracklist

01. Geisterton
02. Embrace the Haunt
03. Dark for Life
04. Sinful Girl
05. Pain
06. 526
07. Not for Me
08. Wicked Game

About Bryce Van Patten 333 Articles
Bryce is an audio engineer and a graphic designer here at Metal Express Radio. From the day he purchased his first album (Machine Head by Deep Purple), he has had a passion for heavy music, which has influenced his whole life. Bryce is from the great Pacific Northwest in USA, and has played in metal bands like Babylon, Holy Terror, The Wild Dogs, Warhead and Egypt through the 80s. He had his first interview for the Portland, Oregon publication The Rock Rag with guitarist Paul Gilbert in his Racer X days. Then he was honored to get to have drinks, and talk for an hour with the legendary Dan McCafferty of Nazareth for his second interview. In 2013, he spent an amazing hour talking to Andi Deris of Helloween, which was the high point of his heavy metal journalism.   In the year 2001, he formed Man in Black Music Publishing. They released recordings by several local bands, and in the spirit of the old Metal Massacre compilations, he created a 2-album series called The Defenders of Metal. The albums featured classic styled Metal bands from all around the world, with bands from Australia to England, and from Argentina to Russia. Currently, he is the producer/creator/vocalist of the Metal band The Black Tuesdays.

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