This is some over-the-top Power Metal that caught me by surprise. Anthemic – somewhat pompous even, – happy, flirting a bit with symphonic Power Metal, and as one can expect based on the aforementioned: Catchy. I don't have the lyrics, so I can't confirm whether these guys are actually Christian or if it's just tongue-in-cheek. Just be forewarned that there are a few alleluias and references to Jesus Christ in there, a no-go for many people.
To some extent, musically this reminds me of early Freedom Call. All-out happy Power Metal, very positive-sounding, ultra-clean production, powerful sing-along-inducing vocals. The lyrics sound cheesy as hell, especially with those alleluias and "dynamite" screams in "Sanctified with Dynamite". Let's just say you won't catch me dead blasting this with windows open while driving around town. Just sayin'.
The vocalist is pretty damn good and his vocal melodies just stick in your head long after the album is over. Only on the closing track "Ira Sancti (When the Saints Are Going Wild)" did I feel some degree of annoyance, with "When the Saints Are Going Wild)" being repeated ad nauseam in a tone that really gets old quick.
Blood of the Saints is basically anthemic Power Metal gone wild – well done and by the numbers. Nothing new, but the execution makes up for that anyway (that's pretty much all we have left nowadays anyway, so...) If you can tolerate the lyrical cheese factor, this is a lot of fun and it can brighten a gloomy day.
