(Power Metal) [CD] Saints 'N' Sinners - Saints 'N' Sinners - 2013, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For two decades we have been waiting for a band from Turkey to finally surpass the mighty Pentagram, a.k.a. Mezarkabul in terms of both quality of output and fame & fortune on the international stage. I really wanted Saints 'n' Sinners to be the band with that promise. The material on this debut album, however, suggests that the feat may not be so easy to accomplish.

I have mixed feelings about this album (though leaning towards the positive). If we look at what has worked, first of all these guys clearly know how to write a song. All ten entries have solid structures and catchy hooks and I found the melodies were in my head long after I had given the album its first couple of spins. While there are no real standout tracks, there are no fillers, either. I really like the production even though the drums, especially the ride cymbal, sound a bit "electronicy" at times. The keyboard player demonstrates his skills on the solos he plays on "One Glorious Night" and I wonder why he is not given the chance to play a solo on every song (this might actually be a good thing for the band - see the next paragraph for more on the topic of solos). The guitars sound heavy and rich and the album is mixed very nicely. However, the biggest highlight for me personally has to be their singer, Mehmet Kaya. Even though he sounds a bit too much like Kiske at times, he delivers with skill and it seems there isn't a note he can't hit. He would easily fit in in any world class band. Lastly, I should mention I liked the old school album cover artwork and logo.

Moving onto what has perhaps not worked so well, I think the glaring shortcoming of this album is the "amateurish" nature of the guitar solos. While the solos on occasion keep up with the quality of the rest of the album, at other times we are subject to cringe-inducing ups-and-downs on the pentatonic scale and clumsy attempts at shredding. It is a shame because they have clearly dedicated much time and effort into creating a professional-grade record, and the solos are unfortunately a letdown. It may not be a bad idea for the guitarists to start taking lessons like there's no tomorrow and be ready to rip by the time they record their second album in the hopefully not too distant future. Leaving this aside, the only other issue I can see is that there is not much in the way of originality, but hopefully with time they will create their own signature style (like, perhaps, Mezarkabul, who have come a long way since their Slayer-clone beginnings). Oh, and the band's name creates the impression that they might be a Whitesnake cover band, but I suppose this will not matter much if they are able to grow musically and reach wider audiences in Turkey and internationally over the coming years.

All in all, this is not a bad first record and is a generally enjoyable listen. However, it will require special effort on the group's part to produce an even better second release that can elevate them to the top of the Turkish metal scene and put them on the European power metal map.

Mehmet Kaya - Vocals
Melih Yüzer - Keyboards
Deniz Tuncer - Guitars
Egemen Doğruöz - Guitars
Erhan Sazlı - Bass
Doğan Rekkalı - Drums