UMUR
"Slavior" is the self-titled debut full-length studio album by US heavy rock/metal act Slavior. The album was released through InsideOut Music in April 2007. The band was formed in 2005 under the Templewithin monicker by drummer Mark Zonder (Warlord, Fates Warning), guitarist/keyboard player Wayne Findlay (Michael Schenker Group) and vocalist David Fefolt (Valhalla, Masi, Hawk). The latter was replaced by Greg Analla (Tribe of Gypsies) before the recording of the album. However Black Lotus Records, who had originally signed Templewithin went down, and shortly after that Templewithin changed their name to Slavior and signed with InsideOut Music.
The music on the 10 track, 52:06 minutes long album is melodic heavy rock/metal. I´m reminded of the most heavy Rush and especially King´s X. The tracks are vers/chorus structured and easily accessible. They are well written and catchy, but not necessarily that memorable after the album has finished playing. Keyboards are used for texture and for creating atmosphere in the often softer choruses, but the heavy riffs and the incredibly well played and adventurous drumming by Mark Zonder are also big assets to the band´s sound. Greg Analla is a skilled vocalist who can both deliver softer styled vocals and more rock oriented vocals. His occasional stab at doing rap vocals aren´t that successful though.
The album is well produced. The sound production is detailed, powerful and polished, which suits the music well. Upon conclusion "Slavior" is a highly professional and very melodic heavy rock/metal album by Slavior. A bit more focus on writing more memorable tunes would have done the trick, but a 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved.