Band:	Gothic Knights
Album:	Up From The Ashes
Style:	US power metal
Release date:	October 20, 2003
A review by:	Malcolm

01. Power And The Glory
02. Warrior Of Faith
03. Down In Flames
04. Up From The Ashes
05. Vampyre
06. The Witching Hour
07. Sleepy Hollow
08. Guardian Archangel
09. Heaven's Fire
10. Dear Queen
11. The 13th Warrior
12. The Machine [digipak bonus]
13. Hungry Like The Wolf [Duran Duran cover] [digipak bonus]

Heavy/Power Metal.

Limb Music / Border Music

Year: 2003

This was the big Surprise, with a big S.
I would never had thought, before I heard this album the first time, that I would like this as much as I do.
I mention it earlier, that I have a weakness, Power Metal (and Gothic Metal).
By the name on the band you could believe that this would be about the last of those two Genres, but no, this isn't about Gothic Metal, this IS Power Metal, and good Power Metal to.
I (Still) know that many of you hate or is just tired about the Power Metal scene of today and refuse to listen to the old and the new band that all the time comes to this genre, and I don't hate you guys for that, it's your decision and I respect it, and I hope you can respect that I really like this kind of music to, it's to easy happen that people like me, gets a lot of shit thanks to that we likes this, but please, we struggle for the same thing, that the METAL shall rules the world.

Well, let's get back to the review, shall we?
To many of you, this is just another Power Metal act that you don't care about and don't pay attention to, but I do and I really like it.
I know that the Power Metal scene is overfull of mediocre band but here and there you can find some real gold nuggets.
Like I did, when I received a bunch of promos from Border Music (Distribute labels like Limb, Lion, InsideOut and MetalBlade), I hoped that the "Cryonic Temple" album should be in it, and it was, with two other Limb releases, "Gothic Knights" was one of them. ("Revoltons" the other).

"Gothic Knights" have been active since before the Grunge revolution that "Nirvana" started in 1991, and unlike many other newly started Power acts, "Gothic Knights" survived.
So this is NOT a newbie band, these guys really have the experience to succeed.
Now when "Rhapsody" have moved on, Limb need a band that can carry them through the hard business that the Metal label scene is today.
And "Gothic Knights" maybe is the band to take that position; they are not as grandiose as "Rhapsody" but still a great Metal band.

"Gothic Knights! Hails from the big country in the west, USA and you can hear that they got some influences from the biggest Heavy Metal band from the states, "Iced Earth".
Well, John Tsantakis is no Jon Schaffer and Rich Sanchez is no Matt Barlow (I know that he have quitted Metal) but they are not trying to be either, that's the good part in it.
Rick is doing a tremendous job behind the microphone, with a clear voice; he gives "Gothic Knights" precisely the kind of voice they need to succeed.
And I'm really LOVE his voice, he has all the elements a singer need to do a band like this, a big + for Rick here.
Just listen to the titlesong, "Up From the Ashes" and you will hear what I'm talking about.

"Up From the Ashes" is "Gothic Knights" third studio album, unfortunately I haven't heard any of their past releases, but I shall try to get the, even is their debut it out of print today.
The album contains 11 tracks, included the two song that was on Rock Hard and Heavy, Oder Was?! respectively compilation cds, those songs are "Guardian Archangel" and "The Witching Hour" and two songs (from the demos of year 2000, before the Limb contract.) got some keyboard or piano added on trough a session recording with Vlado Kormos, "Gothic Knights" is searching for a permanent keyboard player.

Some songs on this release really gets you attention before you even heard them, the songs I thinking about is "Sleepy Hollow" and "The 13th Warrior". And yes, as I read the lyrics I can see that they are inspired by the movies.
And "Sleepy Hollow" almost could be a "Iced Earth" song, 'cause here you can find some Schaffer riffs, it's a damn good song.
And the ballad, "Dear Queen" is a really beauty, I have always been extra weak for nice ballads and this is one of the kind I'm weak for.
The production is out of complains, great but raw as it should be.

So all of you, that like band such as "Iced Earth" and alike, check these guys up, maybe you find the same joy as I did in this release.
But even all of you that are tired about all the copy bands give "Gothic Knights" a chance, they are worth it, this is not one of all the copy bands.


Killing Songs: All, but the best ones are: "Up From the Ashes", "Vampyre", "Sleepy Hollow" "Heaven's Fire" & "Dear Queen".