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This self-titled album from Philadelphia, PA's Sumerlands came out of nowhere. The cover art and vaguely ancient-sounding name might have you expecting some Pagan/Black Metal but this is pure, unadulterated Heavy Metal straight out of the early 80s. Phil Swanson, he of numerous other bands, handles the vocals and, in an unusual move for him, lovingly drenches them in echo like the singers of old. The guitars have a full sound and heap riff upon riff throughout Sumerlands, providing Swanson a perfect perch from which to spin timeless tales of lost love and missed opportunities. Everything on this album has such a classic feel it is just a pleasure to hear. If I have a niggle, it's that the choruses are not as hooky as they could be. Still, as I listen I can't help but be reminded of listening to albums like Deliver Us from Warlord, Power of the Night from Savatage or Transcendence from Crimson Glory. The style is different but the feel and sound of those early U.S. bands is recaptured perfectly on Sumerlands.