Powergame is a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2012 releasing their debut album ‘Beast On The Attack’ in 2015. Sophomore album ‘Masquerade’ followed in 2019, with the band’s third album ‘Slaying Gods’ emerging in 2022.
Germany, a stronghold for heavy metal, is still at it! Churning out top-notch metal bands as if it’s the most natural thing in the world – Powergame, one of the latest bands in a very long line. With two albums and an E.P. already under their belts, Powergame up their game with their third long-player ‘Slaying Gods’ – a fast-paced and furious rush of explosive heavy metal. The rush is brought to life by the blistering title song ‘Slaying Gods’, with the all-out pace of the stuff of fire and brimstone. Yet the chorus is a highly melodic affair with an infectious and anthemic sing-along nature. What an absolute head turner of an opening! The band was very quickly into their stride with ‘Slaying Gods’ (the song), and now they’re up and running – they never look back, hitting heavily with ‘Twisted Minds’. A thunderous opening gives way to a more sedate pace for when the vocals kick in, and a midsection that is a guitar-led mellow and melodic rumble. And as ‘Twisted Minds’ plays out, the thunderous opening does a full circle, coming back with a venomous bite.
And talking of venomous – ‘Sacrificer’ has it in abundance! The quickest song heard so far, ‘Sacrificer’ roars on at high velocity with an almost thrash metal urgency. Yet the band sneak in so much melodious intent over the chorus break – the crowd sing longs are gonna be fucking great. Powergame came out of the blocks flying, and just like a rocket taking off, are powering upwards and onwards with an incredible amount of energy. Which is in no danger of dissipating either – ‘Chasing The Lion’ picking up the baton of fast-paced melodic heavy metal. The pace, power, and purpose of ‘Chasing The Lion’ maintain the album’s overall rip-roaring rampage, and incredible headbang ability. Phew, quite breathless. But there’s no time to take a breath – the band storming on with what is now the fastest song on offer, ‘Fire In The Sky’. Hurtling along at a furious pace, Powergame is head-butting the thrash metal genre.
And with an immediate halt to the scorching pace, the band ooze fear and menace with ‘The End Of The World’, resembling a doomy gloomy Black Sabbath style rumble. The end of the world would be a cataclysmic catastrophe and would need an appropriately slow tempo yet very heavy soundtrack – with Powergame‘s (perfectly) titled ‘The End Of The World’ an ideal choice. It certainly gets my vote! The band roars the loudest with the speedster ‘Midnite Steel’ – which now becomes the fastest song on offer! Delivered at a scorching pace that’s gonna burn the ground it scurries over, ‘Midnite Steel’ also has a rousing sing-along chant style chorus. And with the final song looming large over the horizon, Powergame delivers a one-minute instrumental ‘Prelude To Suffering’ to introduce the album’s twelve-minute final hurrah – the showstopper ‘The Chalice’. Epic and atmospheric with a storytelling feel, ‘The Chalice’ is one of those long songs that keeps you hooked from start to finish – with different hooks, melodies, pace, and tempo changes. And ultimately, continues the high-intensity heavy metal the album began with. ‘Slaying Gods’ (the album) has been a great listen.
Overall, a thundering gallop of highly infectious heavy metal, with a superb show-stopping finale.
TRACKLIST
Slaying Gods
Twisted Minds
Sacrifice
Chasing The Lion
Fire In The Sky
The End Of The World
Midnite Steel
Prelude To Suffering
The Chalice
Powergame: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Pure Steel Records
Category: Album
Country: Germany
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
