Review CHRISTIAN MISTRESS “Children of the Earth”

Christian Mistress is a band from Olympia, Washington that formed in 2008. The band has released three full length albums, with “To Your Death” being the most recent. Now, more than ten years after the launch of their third album, Christian Mistress return with a new album called “Children of the Earth”.

The four-piece stands for traditional heavy metal inspired by the spirit of NWoBHM. What sets the band apart from others is the vocals of Christine Davis. While dueling guitars and blistering solos reflect superbly crafted music, it’s Davis’ voice that gives each song a warm and special vibe. Not only can she cover a wider range. Her way of singing has a strong expression and makes you want to listen to the lyrics.

Songs like “Demon’s Night” with some added twist are a real treat for headbangers. Christian Mistress more than once adds some details to their music and every time you listen to these songs you will find some new interesting features. This is also true for the melodic vocal lines, which are sometimes accompanied by unusual phrasing, like in the thunderous opener “City of Gold”.

A highlight of the album is the very powerful and strong “Love of the World”, followed by the galloping “Mythmaker”, which with its guitar parts is reminiscent of late 80s metal.

A song that manages to hide its beauty is “Death Blade”. Especially the beginning with the “ahahahah” vocals doesn’t work for my ears. The following “Lake of Memory” however is a real ear candy. It’s not the search for new sounds and trendy melodies. It’s the connections to the heyday of heavy metal that make this album a special release. Even though the band relies on the metal of some decades ago, Christian Mistress reproduce the spirit of these days without sounding old-fashioned. It is rather the organic sound of heavy metal that echoes through each of these eight songs.

“Children of the Earth” is one of those records that draws its fascination from unspectacular greatness that reflects emotional intensity and full commitment. It is music that comes straight from the heart and therefore contains the heartbeat of life.