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5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

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Band
Phantom X
Title
Rise Of The Phantom
Type
LP/EP
Company
Mausoleum
YOR
2005
Style
Power
Popular Reviews
12/15/2005 - Review by: Stygian Steel
Phantom X - Rise Of The Phantom - 2005 - Mausoleum Records

Track Listing
1. Storms of Hell
2. Lost
3. Rise of the Phantom
4. Plenty Evil
5. Enchanted
6. Nekron 9000
7. Pain Machine
8. Edge of the Earth
9. Metal Warrior
10. Discovery
11. The Mask
12. Blood on the Moon
13. Steel Winged Fury
Phantom X is a band I've been watching for a while now. Formed partly of members of Omen and Aska the band immediately had my attention and the demos I heard sounded promising. Well, their debut is out and the results are solid.

One thing I find kind of amusing about this album is that Kevin Goocher sounds more like the classic Omen singer here than he does on Omen's own material. On this release he takes on kind of a gruff delivery very reminiscent of Kimball, especially on the more upbeat tracks. Those songs also resemble Omen musically as they have the traditional sort of delivery with some underlying Maidenisms, including some galloping. Not all of the tracks follow this formula though. There is a fair bit of variation as some of the songs remind me more of Armored Saint in their stripped down swagger and there is even a couple slower mood pieces which musically bring thoughts of Dio to my mind, but not vocally. Besides the gruff delivery, Goocher also goes into a higher clean power voice at times, which is a nice bit of variation. Also worth mentioning in the vocal arena is that Robert Lowe of Solitude Aeturnus and Jason McMaster of Watchtower make cameos which add well to those songs. Overall, Phantom X's debut comes off as a good slice of traditional american metal and I look forward to hearing more from them.

Highlights: Storms Of Hell, Pain Machine, Metal Warrior

Rating - 3.5/5


--Stygian Steel 11.30.05
  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    N/A :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: PHANTOM X
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
 REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
Rise Of The Phantom
2005
Mausoleum
Stygian Steel12/15/2005
-
This Is War
2010
Perris
Eric Compton6/18/2010
4

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: PHANTOM X
INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE

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