Mob Rules - Cannibal Nation

Power Metal
AFM

2012

1. Close My Eyes
2. Lost
3. Tele Box Fool
4. Ice And Fire
5. Soldiers Of Fortune
6. The Sirens
7. Screams For The Sun (May 29th 1953)
8. Cannibal Nation
9. Sunrise

When a new Mob Rules album is on the horizon it's always reason for me to be excited. Simply put, I enjoy everything this band does. Every album they have released up to this point has just been great in my opinion. That kind of consistency is pretty uncommon and going into this one I'd rank Mob Rules as one of, if not the best, active power metal bands out there. They've set the bar pretty high for me, but they have also met that standard every time so I could expect no less of Cannibal Nation.

Well, I'd love to tell you Mob Rules remains a rare lesson in consistency, but after listening to Cannibal Nation I have to back off that one a bit. This ends up being more of a lesson in the fact most bands put out an off album now and again. Or at least I hope that's all it is.

While Cannibal Nation is not a huge departure from where the band has been headed in terms of sound it really just fails to ever hit it home with me. None of these songs really measure up to past creativity, catchiness, or energy. Basically, this sounds like Mob Rules, but their B material. The songs are familiar in their melodic power sound, but it's kind of like someone hit the band with tranquilizer darts. There's no heavy drive of The Last Farewell or the energy of tracks like Pilot Of Earth or Astral Hand. Most of the tracks seem rather plodding in pace, the melodies don't quite work sometimes, and when the album tries to speed up it's often awkward. Tracks like Tele Box Fool and The Sirens pick up the pace, but also seem forced and at times have a certain harsh quality. Mob Rules are at their best when they're making those swift but highly melodic tunes and these tracks fail to capture that sound. I'd never really call Mob Rules a true speed power metal band, but they usually do have an almost bouncy upbeat quality at times and I don't really find that here. I also don't really find much power in the choruses which is another disappointment.

This review probably sounds fairly harsh to this point so let me just say this is not a bad listen. It's just kind of an unremarkable one. I just never really became totally invested. It's basically a lack of highlights or bringing much new that makes this a Good album, but not a Great one. I think this is really the sort of thing that just boils down to a lackluster songwriting session. The band didn't do anything outlandish and I'm sure fans will still pick it up and listen to it, as will I, but I don't think any songs here compare to past highlights. Cannibal Nation and Soldiers Of Fortune do manage to find some energy and flow, but they're not really in the league of most past highlights. On any of their other albums these really wouldn't be top cuts.

Well, there you have it. Cannibal Nation just seems very by the numbers and pumped out for the sake of a new release. These songs have a decent sound for the most part, but just don't bring much new to the table and seem to be lacking in passion and energy. Phoned in would be the best way to put Cannibal Nation. This is still above average power metal based on a pretty good sound, good vocals, etc but this is below the standard I have come to expect from the band. For fans this is a new Mob Rules and it's not bad, but for new listeners I'd say check out some of their other albums first.

Highlights: Cannibal Nation, Soldiers Of Fortune

Rating - 3.0/5

Mob Rules - Radical Peace

Power Metal
AFM Records

2009

1. Children Of The Flames
2. Trial By Fire
3. Warchild
4. Astral Hand
5. The Oswald File - Prologue
6. The Oswald File - Desperate Son
7. The Oswald File - 11:30 AM
8. The Oswald File - Unnecessary Doubt
9. The Oswald File - A Dead Man's Face
10. The Oswald File - Did You Reach The Sun?
11. Waiting For The Sun
12. The Glance Of Fame

With each progressive album Mob Rules has become more and more a favorite of mine. At this point I would consider them one of the most consistent active power metal bands in the scene. Needless to say I was looking forward to this release and wondering where the band would go from here. On the last album, Ethnolution AD, Mob Rules added a fair amount of heaviness to their sound which was something of a new development for their style. Also, the band seems to have amped up their production from the stripped down, melodic approach of their earlier albums to a more epic, heavily produced and orchestrated sound. Not that they've gone to over the top symphonic metal, but there is a noticeably different feel on Ethnolution.

On Radical Peace it does appear that the band is following in the mold of the center piece of the last album, Ethnolution. The guitar on Radical Peace has a heavy feeling throughout and the album is fairly heavily produced with vocal layering/effects and backing orchestral touches. This is a big, epic sounding power metal album and less of the more subtle melodic tendencies of their early work can be heard here. With that said however, this is still Mob Rules and they haven't really lost their lack for melody... it's just now presented in a heavier way.

Really the band has not become a whole lot faster or really even more typical, but it does seem they are trying to reach a metal market geared toward heavier sounding guitar than their earlier albums had. I can't help missing the subtle melodies of their earlier material a bit and Ethnolution AD seemed a little more balanced between the heavy Ethnolution tracks and melodic power numbers like Day And A Lifetime. That said however, it's vital for a band to try new things and grow as a unit and I think that's what Mob Rules are doing. One cannot just keeping making the same sort of songs over and over again. The double edged sword of making music is that growth comes with the risk of alienating fans... but fans can be equally turned off by rehashes of the same songs over and over again (I'm looking at you AC/DC). Of course there have also been member changes and I'm sure that is also a a contributing factor.

The bottom line has to be that the songs are great. What more can you really ask for? I find a lot of memorability and hooks on this release with solid guitar and some good singing. In the end that's what it's all about and Radical Peace has it. The whole of The Oswald File (the band considers it one song so I will too) is just great and Astral Hand is one of my new favorite Mob Rules songs. I love the flow of that song and it's the perfect balance of heavy and melodic with a supremely powerful and memorable chorus. Awesome stuff. If you like power metal I consider Mob Rules releases a must.

Highlights: Astral Hand, The Oswald File, Trial By Fire, Warchild

Rating - 4.0/5

Mob Rules - Ethnolution A.D.

Power Metal
SPV

2006

1. Prologue (Ethnolution AD Intro)
2. Unholy War (Ethnoloution AD Pt I)
3. Ashes To Ashes (Ethnolution AD PT II)
4. Fuel To The Fire (Ethnolution AD Pt III)
5. Veil Of Death (Ethnolution AD Interlude)
6. The Last Farewell (Ethnolution AD Pt IV)
7. Day And A Lifetime
8. River Of Pain
9. Ain`t The One
10. New Horizon
11. With Sparrows
12. Better Morning

One of my most anticipated releases of the year has arrived. A new Mob Rules album is always something to look forward to and I had not a shred of doubt in my mind that this would rule. All 4 full length albums up to this point have been gold so I could expect nothing less.

Well this officially makes it 5 albums of excellence. I love it when you can just depend on a band to release a great album. There are so many bands out there which are hit and miss and it's always such a disappointment when they hit those valleys because you know they are capable. Such is not the case with Mob Rules and I truly think they are the strongest active band on the power scene today. A lot of power bands succeed at making a couple good albums before their style gets old or the band fades but all indications are that Mob Rules are here to stay with 5 remarkably solid albums under their belts.

If you haven't heard them before then the sound is basically melodic flowing power metal with a variety of different approaches in the songwriting. The vocals are semi-high pitched and clear with frequent use of somewhat big choruses but not overdone. If you've heard them before then on this release there really isn't any huge change to the sound. If you liked the band before, you'll like this... if not... what the hell is wrong with you anyways? Really no big changes are needed as I tend to think this is a case of 'if it's not broken, don't fix it'. There's more than enough range within the Mob Rules sound from the beginning and that's important to a band's longevity in my opinion. I mean they've always had up tempo guitar driven tracks, some folky influences, some mellow piano moments, some keyboard driven tracks... inventive songwriting has always been the rule. If I had to pick an album this sounded closest to than I'd say probably Hollowed Be Thy Name.

The overall highlight of the album certainly has to be the 4 part Ethnolution series (6 tracks actually but they call it 4 part as 1 is an intro and the other an interlude). 3 of the best songs of the album are contained within and the other track is certainly not a weak point either. The Last Farewell is bound to be THE track of the album as it has some surprisingly heavy sounding guitar for the band and one hell of an epic chorus. All of this series works very well together and certainly could be a live highlight if they want to devote the time to do the whole. I predict they probably will for at least the tour off this album.

I don't know how even a remote fan of power metal could not love this band and this album. The songwriting is just fantastic as everything flows beautifully but with energy and not just cliche double bass speed and such. The drumming has always been a strong point in the band I'd say. Not extremely showy but well used. All in all, Mob Rules just make melodic, beautiful power metal with great use of orchestration, keyboards, and pianos without sounding too mellow. Not the heaviest band out there by any means but not lacking in what makes a band metal either. Everything on here just sounds majestic and epic without being pompous and overblown. Mob Rules continues to... rule.

Highlights: The Last Farewell, Ashes To Ashes, Unholy War, New Horizon

Rating - 4.5/5