Band:	Civil War
Album:	The Killer Angels
Style:	Heavy metal, Power metal
Release date:	June 11, 2013
Guest review by:	ScreamingSteelUS

01. King Of The Sun
02. First To Fight
03. Saint Patrick's Day
04. Rome Is Falling
05. Sons Of Avalon
06. I Will Rule The Universe
07. Lucifer's Court
08. Brother Judas
09. My Own Worst Enemy
10. Gettysburg
11. March Across The Belts
12. Children Of The Grave [Black Sabbath cover]

It should come as no surprise that Civil War's sound is fundamentally that of Sabaton. Though Joakim Brodén has always been the primary songwriter for Sabaton, ex-members Rikard Sundén, Oskar Montelius, Daniel Mÿhr, and Daniel Mullback modeled their first attempt on what they had been used to playing for 13 years. My impression of The Killer Angels progressed the more I listened to it. At first, I was disappointed to hear what was basically an uninspired Sabaton copycat with someone other than Joakim singing, which totally threw me off. Yet the more I listened, the more I grew to appreciate Nils Patrik Johansson's voice and see the personality in these songs.

I hate to compare Civil War to Sabaton so much, because I'm sure the guys would like to be judged on their own merits, but it is kind of hard to avoid when you take two-thirds of a band and bring their whole sound with you. At least they play this style of music very well. Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén are one of my favorite guitar duos, and I am very glad that they found a home in a new project rather than disappear from the music scene. Their solos are always memorable and well-crafted; Civil War benefits greatly from their presence.

This is pretty straightforward power metal. Big choruses sung by tons of people, heavy keyboard presence, and even an obligatory folkish song ("Saint Patrick's Day"). Songs like "Rome is Falling," "Sons of Avalon," and "Lucifer's Court" are wonderfully intense and passionate. They predict a strong future for Civil War. However, although the album has grown on me, The Killer Angels is still a first attempt, and not every song is a total success. Some are a little TOO straightforward, a little too formulaic. As much as I love Sabaton, one is enough, and if there are two bands out there writing the same songs, they will both get boring pretty fast.

Overall, The Killer Angels is an enjoyable album. There are some killer tracks, some not-so-killer, but it makes for a good listen. I do hope, however, that Civil War ends up taking its own direction and crafting a sound that is truly its own.