  
Limb Music/Sound Pollution
Eight release since 1997 by the German Celtic Folk Metal band that goes under the moniker MINOTAURUS. Interesting to have a band from Germany, with a name of Greek origin, playing music with influences from the British Isles. Partly sung in English, partly in German, the album, produced by former TONY MARTIN touring guitarist Rolf Munkes, is said to be a “competently arranged mixture of Folk, metal and an unmissable touch of individuality”. Let´s see…
MINOTARUS have a penchant for lightweight few chords sing along heavy metal with sparse touches of Folk. Translated to Scandinavian equivalents I´d say ULTIMA THULE meets SABATON´S latest with MANOWAR waiting in the wings. Opener “Free Our Souls” is a fine example, but even more evident are “Erlkönig” or “Hinterhalt”. The double vocals of Oliver Klump and Julia Hofmeister provides a ubiquitous choice of how to make the most of ballads, metal and everything inbetwixt. If the first half of the album is sing along straightforward audience pleasers the second half (roughly) is more in your face 80´s hard rock/metal with almost no Folk in songs like “Chains of Captivity” (which I do enjoy!) or the blatant “Defender” copy “Father and Son”. To make things worse I´m gonna state that the final track, the 2013 version of “Princess of Destruction” is the best. This is probably a track from a time prior to jumping on the SABATON bandwagon. There is a decisive Folky edge, thundering drums, fine pace changes and a chanting refrain that suits the style that the info sheet claims. This is a completely mixed bag of noble interests, musicianship, bandwagons and (probably) ideas of making a quick buck.
Track List
Free Our Souls
Wanna Be Your Wife
Erlkönig
Hinterhalt
Love Song
The Call
Varus Battle
Chains of Captivity
Spirit Island
Defenders Paradise
Father and Son
Princess of Destruction (Version 2013)
www.limb-music.com www.myspace.com/minotaurusmetal
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