“We are slaves in the hands of fate, from the cradle to the grave!”
-Wisdom, Fallin’ away from grace
Wisdom hail from Budapest in Hungary and have been an active part of the power metal scene since 2001. Influenced by the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Helloween, what marks Wisdom out is pure, glorious excess. Clearly in thrall to the glass-shattering capabilities of Halford and Dickinson in their prime and possessed of a near-demonic virtuosity on the fret-board, ‘Judas’ is a monument to the wonderfully over-the-top excesses of power metal at its most opulent.
Opening with the massed harmonies and warp-speed guitars of ‘fallin’ away from grace’, Wisdom pull no punches. About as subtle as a neon sign announcing ‘we are here!’, the track stands atop the mountains, clad in leather, letting forth a melody so insistent it’ll be permanently snagged in your brain by the second listen. Of course, for those who find power metal to be a nauseating experience at the best of times, this is all liable to be a bit much, but Wisdom have the err… sense to temper their excesses with a glorious sense of joy and life, and it is that adrenalin-pumping sense of vitality that will keep you listening time and again. Things do slow down a tad for ‘somewhere alone’, which allows Gabor Nagy’s vocals to shine over a song that recalls the magical melodies of Therion’s stunning ‘Lemuria’ album, a record with which ‘Judas’ shares many points in common. ‘Age of lies’ sees the pace pick up for a multi-coloured romp packed with chest-beating vocals, hefty riffs and well-honed solos. It’s ludicrous, but it’s also wonderful and anyway who said you couldn’t headbang and smile at the same time? ‘Live forevermore’ is a full-on, heads-down metallic blast complete with razor sharp guitars and uber-fast percussion, whilst the chorus of ‘ready to die, never give up the fight’ is surely the very embodiment of the metal spirit.
Having drawn you so far into their world that the chances of ever returning are slim to none, Wisdom then unveil the shamelessly melodic ‘Wander the world’ which cruises on the sort of riff that wouldn’t sound out of place in a musical, especially when the massed harmonies of the chorus roam into view like band of wandering minstrels. Indeed, like Therion, there is a close connection between Wisdom’s ludicrously pomp laden displays and classical music and yet, try as you might, you can’t fight it – Wisdom rock with style and it would take a heart of stone to turn your back on it. ‘Heaven and hell’ (no, not that one) opens to the sound of rain and transpires to be an acoustic outing, beautifully played and it is here, at their most restrained, Wisdom sound closest to Maiden. Consider that statement for a moment and you’ll realise how thoroughly overblown the rest of the album is, but then that’s its charm and in contrast to the fluorescent shenanigans going on over the rest of the album, ‘heaven and hell’ feels almost slow. ‘Silent hill’ leaps back into the fray, sword in hand and prepares for battle with a song in its heart and then ‘at the gates’ goes at it, berserker-like, with a monumental central riff smashing away everything in its path. ‘The prodigal son’ is equally powerful, a chugging blast of pure power metal joy and then comes the piece de resistance – the epic title track featuring none other than Mats Leven himself and it’s as if neither band, nor guest vocalist, can contain their joy as they attack the song with gusto. It is the perfect closing number to an album of glorious excess and you can only imagine how much the band had crafting the song with one of the greatest metal singers on the planet.
Power metal truly is a genre that, when done well as it is here, crucially captures the life-affirming spirit of true metal. It’s loud, unabashed and ludicrous, but it is also pure escapism. Like watching a fantasy movie, power metal can take you away from the grey misery of the world and show you a better, more exciting world where honour, vigour and bravery are the virtues that are rewarded and where evil corruption and discourtesy are given short shrift indeed. Like Therion, Wisdom have acknowledged that all the bluster in the world will not make a great album unless you have the hooks to back it up and thus every song here comes laden with enough melody to keep you belting out Wisdom tunes in the shower for the next few months at least. Yes it is over the top, but that’s the point, and listening to this you can’t help but feel that you are more than ready to meet any challenge life throws your way – ‘Judas’ is a towering power metal album of the first order and it not so much deserves as demands your allegiance.
Not convinced? Here’s the official video for ‘Live forevermore’ from the album:
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