Italian heavy metal veterans WHITE SKULL takes a somewhat different approach on their sixth studio album The XIII Skull, incorporating somewhat more of a heavy sound to their trademark power metal. There are still a lot of classical power metal elements to be heard, most prominently displayed during tracks such as Top Secret, The Skull and The Observers, the first two tracks being up-tempo power metal with sing a long choruses, just the way I like 'em. The Observers is more of a mid-tempo song, but with a chorus that gets stuck in your head faster than you can say Timo Tolkki.

Actually this is an album that grows on you, letting you discover new things each time you listen to it. That may sound like a cliché (maybe because it is), but it is nonetheless true. In just three listens The XIII Skull went from ok to recommendable in my opinion, and that is actually quite a feat, considering the amount of power/heavy metal I listen to every day. You have fast songs (which are a majority on the album) and you have slow songs that pound and grind their way into your mind. Guitarists Tony 'Mad' Fonto and Danilo Bar treat their guitars in a very helloweenish way, with dual guitar leads, harmonies and scorching solos. The production was handled by the band itself on this disc, and they did a commendable job, letting each instrument get equal room in the mix. Even the bass is audible, for fuck sakes! Man, you gotta respect that!

The XIII Skull is the second album with the 'new' vocalist Gus Gabarro, who is a competent singer inasmuch as he stays away from the high-pitched falsettos (not many singers manage to hit those notes well) and stays in a more mid-range type of singing, even though he does let out some very powerful screams now and then. His voice somewhat reminds you of Eric Adams (Manowar) and, at times, even David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), this being both to his advantage and sometimes disadvantage. There are times when he just overdoes it, sounding like he's going to puke at any second. Fortunately, those moments are few and far between. All in all, he has a great voice, even though he might want to consider the way he handles it now and then.

So if you like heavy / power, this might very well be something you'd want to check out. The fast songs are there, the mid-tempo songs are there, and even the obligatory ballad (closing track I Wanna Fly Away) is there. There are eleven songs + an intro on the album, with a total playing time of nearly an hour, so this is what I'd call value for money. And if you don't like Italian power metal, listen to this album anyway, 'cause it doesn't even sound Italian. Might have to do with the fact that the singer is Argentinean, and the very German approach they take to the music. The production, while good and compact, is a little dry and, at times, flat, and the way Gus sometimes overdoes the vocal parts are things that lower the score, but on the whole, those things are pretty minor. Overall, I am left with a positive feeling after having listened to WHITE SKULL, and this is the album that should break it big for them, because, ultimately, it is the song material that matters, and in that department they have more than enough gems. More than worthy of your time.

Choice cuts: The Union, Top Secret, The Skulls, Creature Of The Abyss, Perfect Design (gets really good towards the end), The Observers.