PHARAOH – THE LONGEST NIGHT – CRUZ DEL SUR  
Whether Pharaoh will soon launch a world tour alongside Nile and Coffin Texts is doubtful. Unlike its countrymen, Pharaoh’s power play is heavy metal pure and simple. The band is not on the aggressive end of the heavy metal spectrum and shows some melodious leanings in line with what one would expect from a Symphony X album, but the material is full of muscle nonetheless.
The Longest Night begins with Sunrise which is an odd choice given its below average quality and eight-minute length. The song is not bad, but the band has better ones on offer here. While the slow songs have to go and the singer and the music seem to be on two different planes occasionally (perhaps they recorded separately?), The Longest Night has many heavy songs, interesting riffs, powerful wails and impressive instrumentation. Tim Aymar (of Control Denied fame) can belt it out, the bass of Chris Kerns chugs along quite well, solos come often and the drummer keeps a crucial backbeat. Up The Gates veers towards Nevermore, By The Night Sky is more Maiden and has a main riff that has a folksy element, while other names one can use as reference are Icarus Witch and Blind Guardian.
Were the band cut back the melodies and slow parts in favour of a little more rage a la the heavy metal output of the ‘80s (vintage Maiden, Omen, Blacklace, Virgin Steele, etc.) things will look up even more for the group. The raging song Fighting is a great example of what Pharaoh can master. This is not a criticism necessarily for Pharaoh. Most modern heavy metal bands are guilty of leaning too much on melody at the expense of a heavy rhythm and furious delivery. All in all though, The Longest Night is pure metal, a great addition to the US metal tradition and worth the money. – Ali “The Metallian”