Band:	Mob Rules
Album:	Among The Gods
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	May 17, 2004
A review by:	Malcolm

Disc I
01. Black Rain
02. Hydrophobia
03. Invitation Time
04. The Miracle Dancer
05. Among The Gods
06. New World Symphony
07. Ship Of Fools
08. Seven Seas
09. Meet You In Heaven
10. Arabia

Disc II [digipack]

01. Battlefield Control (unreleased outtake 2002)
02. All That I Bleed [Savatage cover]
03. Hydrophobia [alternative version]
+ Black Rain (Videoclip 2004)
+ Black Rain (Videoclip 2004, Director's Cut)
+ End Of All Days (Video Clip 2003 W:O:A ROADSHOW)
+ Making Of (Videoclip Black Rain)

The story about Mob Rules is a quite funny one, with this new release, "Among the Gods", they now have released four albums, 4 killers, 4 albums that breaks the most in the genre, and still, they aren't more well known than they are today, how is that possible?
That's a question I'm asking myself after listen to their new album the first time, and still asking me now, after the fifth spin.

It's now 5 years since the debut "Savage Land" was released, and with the successor "Temple of Two Suns" Mob Rules told us the story about a group of people that left earth and colonizied another planet.
In 2002 the album "Hollowed by Thy Name" was release and had nothing to do with the concept of the first two albums.
And now in "Among the Gods" I can't hear any traces of that theme either, but it surely feels more "Savage Land/Temple of Two Suns" than "Hollowed be Thy Name", both in the way they play and the way the songs is written, even if it's not a copy of the older albums, it's still have some new thinking elements, that's needed to give the album an own identity.

As mention, the debut was released in 1999, but the band was formed back in 1994. In 1996 the second guitars came, and some years later a keyboarder, but still, NO ONE has ever left Mob Rules, the line-up is still the same as in 1994, except the additional they done. Just that is an achievement worth mention twice.

But now let us focus on the album itself, "Among the Gods" is the title it's giving, if it has something to do with a theme on the album or not, I can't say, it's too hard to justify without the lyrics.
But musically it's back to the sound of the first two albums. Everyone that's heard all their albums know that they moved away a little from the style they had on the first to albums when created "Hollowed be Thy Name", not much, but a little.
But now it's back to the roots, and "Among the Gods" feels more like a successor to "Temple of Two Suns" than "Hollowed be Thy Name".
But (big "B") there's missing a killer track as the title track from "Hollowed by Thy Name", that's the best Mob Rules ever written.

The song "New World Symphony" is a song that I need to tell you some about, not because it's the best one ever, but that's a funny one. It's like a tribute to Mob Rules other albums; here you can hear, for example, some parts of the fantastic "Rain Song" from the debut, "Savage Land". Very cool and relaxing song (Yes, it's a "Ballad" alike song).

The music is typical Mob Rules and so is the Vocals too, Klaus Dirks got a very special voice that Mob Rules learn to use to max, and that is a part that you know Mob Rules never will let you down in, as long Klaus is behind the Microphone, a Mob Rules album never will disappoint me, vocally.
And the music is also typical Mob Rules (Except the song "Ship of Fools", this is very unlike Mob Rules, and more like another band, but I can't remember what band), the keyboards got a big part in the music, mixed with a lot of guitars, that's the source and heart of Mob Rules, Bass and Drums (the rhythm section) isn't bad either, but it's easy to hear that Mob Rules with less keyboards and Guitars wouldn't be Mob Rules.

Overall I have to say that this isn't the best album from Mob Rules, but I know for sure that you, Mob Rules fan, will NOT be disappointed, not a bit, because this is exactly what Mob Rules is all about, an album filled with good songs and choruses and bridges that's hard not to sing a long with.
But I hope with all of my hear that with "Among the Gods" Mob Rules will get the attention they deserve, because they are a band that has been fighting in the shadows for too long now.

Favourite Songs: "Among the Gods" (Can't compete with the title track from the last album, but it's still very good), "Black Rain", "Meet You in Heaven" (That has a VERY Helloweenish chorus) & "Arabia".