Richard HolmesMyth Carver – Twist Of Fate (No Remorse Records)
There must be something in the Texas water.
We’re guessing it has a high iron content.
Because it just keeps pumping out razor sharp metal bands, who love to slay the old way.
Eternal Champion, Sumerlands, Mean Mistreater and Sadistic Force have all come hurtling out of the Lone Star State in recent years, to spread the gospel of true heavy metal.
You can now add Myth Carver to that list.
The Dallas crew released the four-track Twist Of Fate independently back in March, but trad champions No Remorse Records have seen fit to release it on CD and vinyl, with the addition of the band’s first two singles, Crimson Terrain and King of the Pyre.
And that’s just dandy, as this quintet deserve a wider audience.
Why?
Well, just take opener Untamed Steel … it pretty much sums up the glorious abandon with which Myth Carver approach heavy metal. Tom Reyes and Jayson Braffett lay down slick, whipcord riffery that drips with attitude, singer Daniel Schmuck delivers the goods, with a range approaching Halford levels, and there’s a proto-thrash ferocity to the tune that burns deep.
However, the band are just as comfortable in more melodic territory: on Shadow Firmament, they drop the pace and let Schmuck bring his full power to bear, and while the track still sounds mean as hell, there’s an intelligence to the songcraft that would put many more seasoned bands to shame.
The blood stirring Crimson Terrain, is another example of this. The song doesn’t pass the five minute mark, but with myriad sonic chapters and deft shifts in pace and mood, it feels like a mini-epic.
Class runs right through Twist Of Fate, that’s for sure.
But if you need a definitive example of this band’s prowess, look no further than Thunderkill.
The tension builds.
The riffs surge.
The leads rip.
And Schmuck brings down a metal storm on our heads.
Myth Carver have their live anthem, right there.
Keep a close eye on these Texans – they won’t be a secret for much longer.
