(heavy metal) Pentagram - Anatolia - 1997, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This quintet hails Istanbul, "Anatolia" is their third album and it's turned out good, very good in fact! After their second effort "Trail Blazer" had been deeply rooted in EXODUS- and TESTAMENT-influenced Thrash, they have now taken on powerful, Melodic Metal with a slightly doomy feel, spiced with Turkish melodies and passages, which give the compositions a flair of their own.

The title-track already shows us where the band comes from, with Turkish melodies in the chorus, embedded into Melodic Metal between slow- and mid-pace, brilliant! The song also is available in a completely Turkish version in the middle of the CD, sounds quite foreign, but makes it even more special. "Gündüz Gece" and the closing ballad "Infinite" have Turkish lyrics.

Musically they have left the Thrash behind, really fast passages also cannot be found, but the songs draw their fascination not only from the foreign influences, but also by the power and the clever arrangement, crowned by Murat Itkan's excellent vocals.

Check out the already mentioned "Anatolia", the brilliant "1000 In The Eastland", the awesome emotional instrumental "Time" and the equally great ballad "Infinite", each song a jewel of its own!

Murat Ilkan - vocals
Hakan Utangaç - rhythm guitars and backing vocals
Demir Demirkan - lead guitars and backing vocals
Tarkan Gözübüyük - bass and backing vocals
Cenk Ünnü - drums and backing vocals