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This is pretty laughably bad, the more so because it could have been decent. This is the debut album for this Austrian band, and I think they needed more time to work on their songs. ValSans play straight-up Heavy Metal with chugging riffs and shout-along choruses - very Hammerfall in sound. The guitar sound is kickass, and the riffs are heavy and propulsive. The recording is thick and punchy, and the band sounds tight.

The problem? Vocalist Andy Barna. He sucks, frankly. He has no charisma, little range, and no sense of phrasing at all, just cramming words into the vocal lines haphazardly in incredibly awkward and dorky ways. The lyrics are really terrible and almost universally. . . well, stupid, to be honest. This could be ignored if Barna wasn't honking them all over the place without a break. When the band stacks up the backing vocals for the big shout-out lines it is a relief, as at least Barna shuts up for a second. Even a solid tune like "Eyes of a Viper" is pretty much emasculated by terrible, terrible vocals.

This could be a solid band if they had a singer worth a shit. And I don't know who writes their lyrics or vocal lines, but I would say he should probably be shot for the general good of music. Frustrating and painful.