{"id":249121,"date":"2025-07-08T22:21:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T22:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/249121\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T22:21:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T22:21:09","slug":"black-knight-the-tower-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/249121\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Knight – The Tower Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It\u2019s always an interesting experience to seize a promo by a band that\u2019s been around for decades, yet you\u2019ve never heard of them. Thus did I come to discover Dutch traditional metallers, Black Knight<\/strong>. Formed way back in the 80s, they didn\u2019t release an album until 1998, and since then, they\u2019ve only managed 2 other releases, the last being in 2020. Badly delayed by COVID lockdowns and lineup changes, it\u2019s only now that we get 4th album, The Tower. With a sound that borrows mightily from Accept<\/strong>, Primal Fear<\/strong>, and Brainstorm<\/strong>, they bring exuberantly old school antics to the table with slight traces of power metal decorating the edges. It\u2019s not fancy, it\u2019s not new or innovative, but these chaps know what they are doing and how to push a metal song into your ears through brute force. But is there a reason why Black Knight<\/strong> is so little known after so many years in the game?<\/p>\n

After the requisite intro that adds nothing at all to the album, things get extra spicy on \u201cTower,\u201d where they throw all their traditional\/classic metal bona fides at you like pocket sand, leaving you vulnerable to the brutal stun. It\u2019s a burly, badass, fist-pumping gem not far from what Primal Fear<\/strong> churn out on a good day, and it has that big, anthemic sizzle that makes you want to throw cars at disfavored locals. \u201cSurvive\u201d comes out with a heavy battering ram riff before shifting gears to a more Brainstorm<\/strong>-esque macho metal style that suits them well. Black Knight<\/strong> have a real gift for crafting classic metal hooks that dig deep and get you on board. Shockingly, they deliver 7 ball-busting metal chestnuts in a row with nary a dip in quality. You get a grinding, moody power ballad like \u201cMisery,\u201d and then they just as easily bludgeon you with an Accept<\/strong>-meets-Mystic Prophecy<\/strong> steamroller like \u201cDie.\u201d This stuff puts you between the hammer and the anvil and irons your shit out good and proper.<\/p>\n

Considering I never heard of these guys, I was quite shocked by how consistently good to great these songs are as they kept piling up like an epic car wreck in the consciousness of Steel<\/strong>. The slick songwriting heard on a heavy metal cut like \u201cDeceivers\u201d doesn\u2019t grow on trees, and damn is it sticky like hot tar on a cold day. Not many bands can string together seven sick bangers like these on any given album. So what are the downsides? Well, as impressive as things are for the bulk of The Tower\u2019s runtime, the last few songs seriously undermine their run of luck. \u201cFire\u201d is a standard, stadium-ready rocker that doesn\u2019t do a lot for me, but the real problem is how things end bizarrely with a German language soft rock ballad called \u201cIm Dunkein.\u201d This thing fits with the rest of the album about as well as steaming rhino shit does on a pricey porterhouse steak. It\u2019s not a good song regardless of genre, and it has no business being the conclusion to a balls-to-the-walls metal album. It\u2019s the kind of song you promptly delete and forget it ever existed, and it\u2019s greatly perplexing why the band thought it fit here. Once this thing is removed, repudiated, and scorned, The Tower makes a Hell of a lot more sense!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

GertJan Vis and Ruben Raadschelders are able axe slingers and deliver an effective collection of jackhammering riffs and earwormy harmonies as they crunch and crack along. There\u2019s a definite Accept<\/strong>-on-roids vibe to much of what they do, along with flashes of salad days Annihilator<\/strong>. This blend works well with the kind of songs they serve up. New frontman Henk Overbosch delivers classic metal vocals with poise, power, and enough versatility to move from mood to mood without sounding forced or out of place. He has the right amount of grit and hoarsepower to convince, and the guy has legit pipes too. This is a seasoned, talented crew, and they have serious songwriting chops, which makes it even more completely baffling why they opted to end The Tower with such an ill-advised whimper.<\/p>\n

The Tower is a very good traditional metal album with enough piss, vinegar, and pruno to make you even more of a beefbrained barbarian than you already are. It\u2019s entertaining enough to have me sorting through their back catalog, and even with a disaster of a closer, it\u2019s still got serious legs. If you need a classic metal fix with raw power and hooks, Black Knight<\/strong> will be your huckleberry. Sometimes the obscure side is the fun side.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 3.5\/5.0
DR:<\/strong> NA | Format Reviewed:<\/strong> Fucking Stream!! Stop with the streams!!
Label:<\/strong> Pure Steel Records
Websites<\/strong>: blackknight.nl<\/a> | facebook.com\/blackknightNL\/#<\/a> | instagram.com\/black_knight_band<\/a>
Releases Worldwide:<\/strong> July 4th, 2025<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n