REVIEW: Amulet – The Inevitable War (Album)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Britain has one of the biggest selections of underground music talent in the world. Rock and Metal in particular enjoy well-populated and varied scenes, stretching across a magnitude of bands. New, innovative and groundbreaking sounds are constantly sent cannoning through the genre but sometimes, it’s the old school, classic style that catches our attention. That is the exact sentiment carried by Amulet and their brand new record, The Inevitable War.

Forming in 2010, Amulet have quickly built a respectable underground reputation, and songs like the opener, The Satanist, show why. Immediate nostalgic Judas Priest based waves flood the song, bringing an authentic classic sound to the forefront of the record. Strong, unwavering vocal delivery elevates the conviction of the song brilliantly, setting up excellently for the forthcoming songs. Shockwave follows a similar structure to The Satanist with the clear original Heavy Metal inspiration. Chomping drum play and shredding guitar demonstrate the raw, unquestionable talent of Amulet, while the tempo sticks to the albums budding theme.

Shades of Dio influence can be detected in Burning Hammer as Amulet’s Metal assault marches on. A catchy chorus is bolstered by the vocals, before leading into an intricate but brief guitar solo. A bigger focus on atmospheric Metal is shown in Call of the Siren. Key changes, tempo switches and a consistently spacious feel in Call of the Siren solidify it as a crucial song for Amulet.

A calming, scene-setting interval dictates the mood of the album briefly, before Siege Machine kicks in, ripping any sense of serenity to shreds. Beckoning Classic Metal once again reigns supreme here, as Siege Machine unleashes a plethora of admirable Metal conventions with Amulet’s own original perspective in tow. Amulet adopt a darker approach in the early stages of Gateway to Hell before the traditional orientation takes over. As far as Classic Metal goes, you can hardly expect more than this. Gateway to Hell has a sturdy beat, good lyrics and an impeccable guitar solo, meaning it ticks all the boxes.

Poison Chalice fills the penultimate spot on the record with a hint of Queensryche thanks to the stomping, contained tempo. The lengthy finale is essentially three songs merged into one, meaning it comes off as a showcase for fluent, precise and professional Metal styles. Demonstrating a high standard of narrative driven songwriting also benefits this closing tune immensely. Overall, Amulet are the embodiment of Classic Heavy Metal and The Inevitable War encapsulates all the genres expectations. With this album as well as a handful of upcoming shows in Germany and Austria, 2019 could prove to be a landmark year for Amulet.