CD review POLTERGEIST ‘Feather of Truth’

Although Swiss metal veterans Poltergeist premiered in 1989 with ‘Depression’, the count of longplayers isn’t further than on four to date. This has less to do with a lack of musical quality or zeal. It’s mainly due to the fact that Poltergeist was ‘offline’ for 20 years. After having published ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, nomen et omen, the band went into a hiatus and stayed there for two decades.

It was in 2013 when guitarist V.O. Pulver and singer Andre Grieder reactivated the sleeping Thrash Metal beauty. With Chaspar Wanner, Ralf Winzer Garcia and Reto Crola, Poltergeist can build on a stable line-up these days which recorded the new longplayer, called ‘Feather of Truth’.

A total of ten new pieces make your metal ears glow red. Poltergeist haven’t lost any of their power and on the new record they are unleashing some really good Metal tunes. As on the previous releases, many songs reach the 5 minute mark, which shows Poltergeit’s unrestrained creativity and songwriting capabilities. Sometimes, when it gets more melodic, like on ‘The Godz of the Seven Rays’, the author of these lines feels reminded even of bands like Iced Earth. Speed Metal is what the five guys inspired to songs like ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Rockin” while ‘Ambush’ is a straight Thrash Metal anthem on the album and also to recommend is the moderate paced ‘Phantom Army’, the latter equipped with nice tempo changes and a strong groove. Not to forget the title song, which connects all the dots and is therefore very well suited as the eponym for the album.

Poltergeist 2020 stand for pure Metal, which finds its inspiration in the late ’80s without being stuck in those times. Strong as a rock and tight as a Swiss clockwork, the quintet has enough musical vision and technical skills to bring the Thrash vibe of days gone by into the here and now. It is an album that invites you to headbanging and what more could you wish for?