SLAVES FOR LIFE

Although I would call them more of a project than a band as such Amaseffer are a progressive metal band from Isreal, this being there first album i gotta say its EPIC, i mean beyond compare, blending a fantastic mix of Symphonic, Progressive metal and what appears to be Middle Eastern Folk music they are a three piece band (with the addition of the awsome Mats Leven on vocals, they even have Angela Gossow doing some really cool vocals on the song MIDIAN)

Concept wise the album is the first in a series of albums about the story of Exodus, from the Hebrew slavery period in Egypt to the enterance of the 12 tribes of Isreal to the promised land of Canaan, and the album sound i hear you say? Well its nothing short of a masterpiece, the only small gripe i had with this album was SOME of the vocals, not all of them, just some, i dunno, sometimes i felt Mats wasnt really putting his all into them, i could feel the passion and intensity of a lot of the songs for example in the song BIRTH OF DELIVERANCE and MIDIAN the song i was talking about before, it was on songs like the title track SLAVES FOR LIFE and even in the folk tinged beauty of ZIPPORAH that i kinda got bored with his vocals, but thats really about it with the gripes, the rest of the album was very very strong with the concept really shining through and really enjoyable to get into, the way all histroy should be looked into i reckon;

Sorrow - (Just an intro really) 8/10 Slaves For Life - 8/10 Birth Of Deliverance - 10/10 Midian - 10/10 Zipporah - 9/10 Burning Bush - 8/10 The Wooden Staff - 8/10 Return To Egypt 8/10 Ten Plagues 10/10 Land Of The Dead 10/10

My conclusion is this...this is yet another incredible modern day prog masterpiece with real potential to be a classic for years to come, if your a fan of Orphaned Land or any of the bands Mats Leven was in (Therion, Krux, At Vance) then you really should love this.

9.5/10 = 5 stars