Album Review: Lovebites – Electric Pentagram

The opening song on Electric Pentagram bears the unimprovable title Thunder Vengeance, and its impeccable, near-thrash attack recalls Judas Priest’s classic Painkiller. It’s a cracking start to a record which is somehow the third Lovebites full-length in just over two years.

Anyone inclined to whip out an air guitar is exceedingly well served here, particularly on the Maiden-esque melodies of Golden Destination or the addictive opening flourish of Today Is The Day. But while this is an album of deft musicianship and well-executed metallic bravura, the sheer slickness of its production occasionally leaves it feeling synthetic, like a computer simulation.

In fairness, this is true of large swathes of the modern power metal scene, and Lovebites certainly boast more memorable tunes than most. It’s this devotion to catchiness that renders Electric Pentagram a sustained blast of entertainment, even at an arguably over-generous 77-minutes long.

Verdict: 3/5