REALMBUILDER (Summon The Stone Throwers) LP/CD
The music and artwork here look and sound "authentic", and I seriously thought REALMBUILDER were some lost early-1980's metal band until I looked at the press info. This is a pretty new band from New York and 'Summon The Stone Throwers' is their debut album, released through I Hate Records in 2010. Well, actually, it has been originally released in 2009 but only as a limited vinyl edition. 'Summon The Stone Throwers' is definitely an unobtrusive record. The overall vibe is very laid back and it seems as if Craig "Czar" Zahler (drums and vocals) and J.H. Halberd (guitars and bass) doesn't have anything to prove to anyone. There is no interest in the latest trend and it's obvious that they play music for the sake of music. That is very praiseworthy, especially in current times. There's a great epic feel to the seven songs combined with influences from later Bathory ('Hammerheart'/'Twilight of the Gods' period), but it's not easy to categorize REALMBUILDER.
Some of the songs show similarities to the hardrock of the late 1970's and, of course, the NWOBHM movement. There are also some surprises so that 'Summon The Stone Throwers' is no predictable record. Just listen to the brass section in the title track. It's dominated by a creative spirit and I can imagine that REALMBUILDER don't worry about genre restrictions. The album is packed with lots of details and you'll need some time to discover everything. Suddenly a medieval melody appears as in the first track 'Bow Before the Oligarchy' or a well-dosed hammering doublebass adds more power to the songs. Fortunately, the vocals doesn't sound as if Craig "Czar" Zahler has some problems with his testicles and his well-tempered style fits perfectly to REALMBUILDER's unique heavy sound. For anyone who's looking for a real magic and soulful doom-soaked heavy metal album, I highly recommend 'Summon The Stone Throwers' to anyone, metal fan or not. Yes, it's that good.
(KK)