Cruz Del Sur

Few years back Pharaoh released The Longest Night, a highly regarded album in the power metal field. Mixing powerful guitar playing, epic songwriting and the supremely underrated vocal talents of Tim Aymar, the album was a breath of very fresh air in a genre that was well past choking on an overflow of me-too worthless bands. The follow up had a lot to live up to, nevermind deliver anything in the league of By The Night Sky, the sort of epic power metal song that'll make you get on a steed and gallop into a forest to battle ogres.

Be Gone does this, and so much more.

The first thing of note is that this isn't actually a power metal album, not in the way that The Longest Night was. Instead, Pharaoh has delivered a perfect heavy metal album. Pharaoh has taken a much more intricate approach this time, much in the same way that early Dio, Fates Warning and Queensryche did. The songs are deceptively simpler in comparison to the grandiose nature of The Longest Night, but there's brilliant subtlety that becomes more and more apparent on each successive listen.

The album starts off with the magnetic Speak To Me. Tim Aymar, who most people know from Chuck Schuldiner's Control Denied project, excels right off the bat with his impressive vocals that weaves through the harmonies in a way that reminds me of Ronnie James Dio. I remember reading one interview with Chuck Schuldiner where he said that Tim Aymar was his favorite vocalist. Be Gone makes me finally understand why. Dark New Life is another hefty slab of metal, containing an amazing guest solo by arguably the most underrated guitar legend ever in Mark Reale from Riot. Next up is my personal favorite on the album, No Remains. Its a fist pumping energetic metal anthem that may or may not be about a zombie apocalypse. I'm still waiting on confirmation about that.

Red Honor continues this joyous metal experience. It has the sort of sing-along chorus that should be a hit live. Much of the praise for Pharaoh can be given to Matt Johnsen, who stitches together a series of riffs and chords throughout and somehow makes everything fit perfectly. Buried At Sea is the album's big epic. While its not in the same league as the previously mentioned By The Night Sky off the last album, it does seem to come from the same mindset that resulted in Steve Harris writing Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. That's high praise from a huge Maiden fan that isn't tossed around lightly.

The band counters the epic feel of Buried At Sea see with the ripping Rats And Rope. Its incredibly memorable with its use of harmonies, especially with the chorus and the guitar solo. Cover Your Eyes And Pray reminds me of Metal Church for some reason I can't quite place. Maybe I'm subconsciously bring up comparisons to Let The Children Pray, though early Metal Church is another band I see as a primary influence. The song itself is more subdued than the rest, though never losing any power. In contrast, Telepath is probably the heaviest song on the album. I particularly like how the production moves the bass up in the mix at the beginning, reminiscent of Steve Harris's trademark gallop. The album closes out with the title track, which has a somberness that never feels gimmicky or artificial.

Front to back, Be Gone is an album that has future classic written all over it. Every note, riff, chord, lyric and beat is written with passion that reaches right through the speakers. The Longest Night may be the album you reach for when you want to headbang, but Be Gone is the album that you reach for when you wanna get lost in its sonic tapestry. Quite simply, I don't know what more a metal fan can ask for.


01. Speak To Me
02. Dark New Life
03. No Remains
04. Red Honor
05. Buried At Sea
06. Rats And Rope
07. Cover Your Eyes And Pray
08. Telepath
09. Be Gone

Score: 10/10