FIFTH ANGEL — The Third Secret (review)

FIFTH ANGEL — The Third Secret album cover Album · 2018 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Kev Rowland
In Seattle in 1984, high school friends Ted Pilot (vocals) and Ed Archer (guitar) teamed up with lead guitarist James Byrd, completing the line-up with Ken Mary (later Alice Cooper, House of Lords) and bassist John Macko. Their debut album was self-released and self-funded, was picked by Roadrunner in Europe, before the band was signed by Epic Records for a seven album $21 million deal. A second album followed in 1989, but due to a new musical phenomenon also coming out of Seattle, the band soon called it a day. Fast forward to 2010 and they were asked to headline the Keep It True festival in Lauda-Koenigshofen, Germany. Gathering many of the core members and adding Heir Apparent vocalist Peter Orullian, (Ted Pilot is now an endodontist practicing in Seattle and was not able to sing for the reunion). The band was also writing new material which finally reached Nuclear Blast who signed them up for the band’s third album, nearly thirty years on from the last one.

The line-up these days is guitarist and lead vocalist Kendall Bechtel (who appeared on the second album), bassist John Macko and drummer and backing vocalist Ken Mary, which is certainly going to be interesting going forward as these guys sound like a standard twin-guitar five-man line-up instead of a trio. I haven’t heard the earlier albums, so can’t say how this compares, but what I can say is what we have here is classic power metal heavily influenced by Dio-period Sabbath. Bechtel is a fine guitarist, but where he shines is definitely in the vocal department as here is a guy who can really sing. He has all the power and timbre one could wish for in this style of music, which is heavy, fast, and one can imagine them suddenly switching into “Mob Rules” at any moment.

There is the obligatory power ballad of course, but these guys shine best when they are in full flight. There are strong hooks, great performances, and overall this is quite a comeback album. It will be fascinating to see where they go from here, but whatever happens Fifth Angel are very much back.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed