From Worcester to the world?
There’s always been a few things that made Fury stand out above most of the local bands that knock round the circuit. Not least that a couple of years ago – even before they’d released a full length record – they were selling venues out.
It was, however, more about their ambition. Debut “The Lightning Dream” realised that, and in the process made everyone else realise how good a band they were. Since then, though, they’ve ramped things up even more.
Claiming that they are “The most exciting band in the world” is one thing, listing your band interests as “Creating music to transport you to the furthest reaches of the galaxies…..” is quite another. But as George Constanza memorably observed on Seinfeld “its not a lie if you believe its true.” And there’s little doubt that Fury absolutely mean every word.
Appropriately “Lost In Space” doesn’t concern itself with this planet, its got much grander things to preoccupy it. Epic? Yeah. Pretentious? Yeah, that too, but in the good way that only the best power metal can manage. Glorious? Oh god, yes.
The title track is huge, and that’s the sound of them only getting started. Merrily casting themselves as the “wanderer of worlds” before the first chorus is out and doing so over a chugging metal gallop as instantly familiar as it is wondrous, and just in case you thought that was a fluke then “Star Trippin’” is at it again, just a little heavier and looking down from slightly further afield.
Then, quite marvellously, its off into Viking territory. “When The Hammer Falls” summons Odin without a hint of irony as Julian Jenkins’ vocals soar – if this was a Grand Magus song it’d engender thousands of fists into the air at a festival. Who knows, it might do the same for a four piece from Worcester.
It’s not that Fury are doing anything new – and you guess even they’d admit that – its just that on the likes of “Dragon Song” its not unreasonable to suggest that there isn’t a British band doing this type of grandiose metal as well as this. “Sons Of War” for example begins ominously but soon gets its foot on the monitor and its studded sleeved arms in the hair and its typical of many on the record.
“Now Or Never” is stacked full of harmony vocals and stadium filling intent, while the acoustic led “Valhalla” strips things down – but even that can’t resist a huge Maiden-esque riff and thunderous guitar solo from Jake Beesley before its done.
It even manages to end with something even more incredible than what has gone before. The near quarter of an hour “A Taste Of Silver” is a tale of piracy and not since “Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner” has metal got quite so nautical. Think Alestorm without the tongue in cheek knockabout stuff and you are somewhere close – it shouldn’t work, but it does. Magnificently.
That’s because Fury do things others wouldn’t even try. They think in a way that most modern metal bands don’t and in doing so they are brilliant at it. Proof positive that they are as good as they seemed to be, “Lost In Space” deserves to give Fury a real lift off.
Rating 9/10
