HERMAN FRANK

Herman Frank is a veteran of the German Metal scene, having played on the classic Accept albums ‘Balls to the Wall’ and ‘Restless and Wild‘, as well as being a member of Victory. He is also a producer and engineer, having overseen the production of albums by bands such as Saxon, Molly Hatchet and Rose Tattoo. Somewhat surprisingly, then, given his longevity, this is Frank’s first solo album. The saying goes that you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover but I think both the front and back of this album give a reasonable indication of what is contained within, especially the back cover which has a photo of Frank clutching his ‘axe’ and looking moody in clothes that could quite easily have been lifted from Lemmy’s wardrobe. Also track titles such as ‘Bastard Legions’ and ‘Welcome to Hell’ should give you an idea of what to expect. The album kicks off with the track ‘Moon II’ and Frank shows his guitar god credentials by starting the song with a solo – not even Malmsteen would try that! The track itself is very up tempo, almost speed metal, with drummer Stefan Schwarzmann playing a blinder. The rest of the album is played at a similar tempo with the only exception being ‘Heal Me’ which comes across as a Whitesnake/Def Leppard hybrid with vocalist Jiotis Parachidis sounding like a European Coverdale, whilst the backing vocals are reminiscent of ‘Pyromania’ era Leppard. ‘Heal Me’ is one of the standout tracks, alongside ‘Father Buries Son’ and ‘Kill the King’ which would have been interesting had it been a cover of the Rainbow classic of the same name, although virtually all the tracks are worthy of note. To sum up, this is a very well produced album with musicianship of a high order. There is nothing here that is startlingly original but if you’re a fan of well crafted, slightly retro sounding metal, played by a bludgeoning rhythm section and a guitarist who brings his years of experience and skill to bear then you should find plenty here to enjoy.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Metal Heaven

Album

LOYAL TO NONE

Review by Dave Uphill

RUNNING TIME:

46:09

RELEASE DATE:

2nd March 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Moon II
2) 7 Stars
3) Father Buries Son
4) Heal Me
5) Hero
6) Kill The King
7) Down To The Valley
8) Lord Tonight
9) Bastard Legions
10) Welcome To Hell

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Germany

"...if you’re a fan of well crafted, slightly retro sounding metal, played by a bludgeoning rhythm section and a guitarist who brings his years of experience and skill to bear then you should find plenty here to enjoy."