March 28
Words by Kris Peters
I love reviews like this on bands I know nothing about, mainly because you go in with a clear mind and no preconceptions on what to expect. What I do know is Judicator are an American power metal band and this album – Concord – is their seventh full length release, so if they are still pumping them out after that many albums then people are definitely into their music!
We kick things off with Call Us Out Of Slumber, which opens with a beautiful acoustic guitar run. It’s almost Spanish flamenco in nature and lingers only briefly before the rest of the band joins in the party and ramps things up considerably.
Suddenly this is a sweepingly epic tune that pumps with energy which only intensifies the longer it rolls.
Then John Yelland‘s vocals chime in and the power metal side of Judicator comes to the fore. Rising and swinging effortlessly through the carnage, Yelland immediately assumes the reigns, steering Call Us Out Of Slumber down a winding cavalcade of musical emotions. It blasts from oppressive to restrained and back again without interrupting the flow of the tale, all the while kept firmly on the rails by Yelland whose vocal majesty is obvious even at this early stage of the album.
It seems guitarist Chad Anderson is going to have his work cut out over the course of this journey, with an abundance of meaty guitar solos rounding out Call Us Out Of Slumber, which has set the bar massively high for the rest of Concord. Can Judicator sustain it? Let’s move on to Sawtooth and find out…
Sawtooth starts with a tasty guitar lick that lingers somewhat before Dalton Jolley starts pounding his kit in defiance until Yelland finds his mark and enters the fray. His voice rises and falls – as all good power metal vocals should – but in such a way that accentuates the musicality of his bandmates without dominating.
I must admit here that I am not a massive power metal fan – and it is generally because the vocals make me cringe after a couple of songs – but there is enough else going on with Judicator to distract my interest. While Yelland is obviously the main protagonist of this album, Anderson, Jolley, and bass player John Dolan all have their own part to play which allows the vocals to have a sporadic impact rather than a constant presence. If that makes sense.
I know what I mean.
Johanna’s Song is next and sounds like it might be a power ballad, and from the moment the strains of electronics fill the air I fear I may be right. These might have been present in the first two songs, but not as prominently as this. Then Anderson comes to the rescue with a chunky guitar riff that promises to push through the epicness of a love song. But fails to deliver on that promise.
Yes, Johanna’s Song does seem to be the token power ballad, and no, I’m not really into it. I must digress a little, because I have managed to last through until the end of the tune at least. The constant meatiness of guitar that strengthens the song’s underbelly did provide moments of interest, but at the end of the day I’m not a ballad loving person in general, so please don’t hold anything against the band here.
It’s not them, it’s me.
A Miracle Of Life restores my faith as it comes out of the blocks like a song on a mission. Jolley is beating the absolute life out of his kit, while Anderson must surely have had fire raging from his fingers when they recorded this one. Damn quick playing.
All of this seems to ruffle Yelland’s feathers as he, too, takes up the fight against oppression and joins his comrades in sonic war. A nice little breakdown of sorts about halfway through heightens my feelings even more before Judicator continue the fight, spurred on by almost militant drumming from Jolley who is the perfect general in a situation like this.
Weeping Willow insinuates that the trees are crying, and I hope we don’t have a nature is beautiful kind of song. Which, thankfully, we don’t as the intensity that punctuated A Miracle Of Life carries over into this one, albeit with a more restrained approach.
This song seems like a journey of sorts, easing gently as Yelland pulls things back considerably when he finds his voice. It sounds like a moment of introspection amid a swirling maelstrom of musical disparity that serves as a vehicle from which Judicator purge their sins. But I could be – and probably am – completely wrong in that assessment. But I still stand by it.
Anderson rips another solo from the darkness, adding yet another layer of emotional complexity to the tune, and I suddenly find myself wanting to actually know, rather than guess, what the essence of Weeping Willow is. Which means as a song it has done its job.
Imperial sounds like it could come from royalty and delivers as such with a snarling guitar intro that drips with intent. And Yelland must sense this too as he delivers a series of metal-drenched growls that come out of nowhere. It’s an impressive and sudden change in technique that is surely something Judicator must explore further in future.
It continues to dominate the landscape in select junctures, adding a sense of menace without delivering the final blow. Anderson soon joins in the hostilities with a sweeping burst of animated solos that almost elevates Imperial beyond the realm of power metal and into the next level of metal provocation. Pick of the album so far!
Instead of continuing the carnage, Judicator do exactly the opposite with Hold Your Smile. It starts with an extremely mellow acoustic passage that has Yelland singing with more than a hint of sorrow in his voice. But this is merely a ploy to get me on edge again as the pace quickens momentarily but Yelland isn’t done with his tale of woe, and once more things pull back but this time with electric guitar instead of acoustic.
It’s actually very well done and blends beautifully into the sonic landscape painted by the sombre vocals. It’s kind of a ballad, but not. And if you can make sense of that you are a better judge than my good self, so I guess what I’m trying to say it’s a good ballad. And how often – if ever – have you heard me admit that?
The title track is listed next, and it takes off just as its namesake would. Blasting out of the gates and into a stratosphere of the great unknown. Concord is another up-tempo speed-based number that has my head and feet tapping in unison.
Some gang/layered vocals even make an appearance, but it’s the urgent delivery without aggression that stands out here. Judicator have mastered the art of taking you on a journey of sorts with their music, which isn’t easy to do. They don’t have massive breakdowns or obvious tempo swings but instead rely on the subtle nuances of music for maximum effect.
The harmonies on this are cheery and playful and for some reason my mind wanders to a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But in this version, King Arthur rides a wave of emotion rather than apathy, and his rule is supreme.
Blood Meridian closes the album and has a somewhat tempered beginning with a consistent electronic note setting the tone before Yelland eases into his role, conducting the narrative with his vocal cords that scream for calm amongst the storm.
But Anderson is having none of it as he wails on his guitar which tempts Jolley into action and the race is on! Thankfully, Yelland is up for the challenge as Blood Meridian rapidly builds then maintains the momentum that has been a feature of Concord mostly from start to finish.
Full disclosure here. This is the first time I have ever lasted through a whole power metal album, and I am pleased to say it was by choice, not necessity. Not that I am an expert in the field, but if Judicator aren’t already towards the top of said genre of bands globally, then Concord must surely rectify that.
