I Hate Snakes, Jock (Raiders Of The Ark - Astral Doors)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Raiders Of The Ark - Astral Doors
Date:	29/01/08 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Mostly unique material.

Disadvantages: Samey.

Released between 2005's 'Evil is Forever' and 2006's 'Astralism,' this five-track E.P. contains one song from its successor amidst a sea of "unique" material that is, at the very least, difficult to come across elsewhere. Lacking the liveliness that would eventually see the band rise ever so slightly with 'Astralism,' these songs are still stuck in the realm of an eighties hard rock tribute, with prominent Hammond organs on most songs and a vocal performance from Patrik Johansson that's trying its best to imitate Black Sabbath's singers Ronnie James Dio and Tony Martin, with an added, irritating twist of his own.

These aren't bad songs, but there's nothing special to be found here at all, and I actually got quite irritated while listening due to the lack of variety and the overall generic nature. The title song is unexceptional and doesn't exactly bode well for the subsequent full-length release, on which it would fortunately prove to be one of the lesser tracks, but fans of Twisted Sister, Saxon and other bands that relied primarily on the unison shout value of a repetitive chorus should find a lot to enjoy here. 'Easy Rider' may even be a cover; it certainly sounds authentic, but it could simply be another example of Astral Doors being perpetually twenty years out of fashion, but for the lack of prominent organ here it's actually one of the easier songs to listen to, even if the guitars fail to compensate with any interesting riffs.

'Far Beyond the Astral Doors' and 'Moonstruck Woman' were both previously available as bonus tracks on imported editions of the debut album, and the first song is probably the best on this E.P. despite once again being very similar. It merely has a greater energy and an enjoyably upbeat quality, though the latter song (here re-mixed) is the worst of the lot thanks to the organ overkill from the onset. The other enjoyable song here is 'Another Day in Hell,' which boasts some great guitar solos from Joachim Nordlund and Martin Haglund while also skilfully incorporating mellow elements.

This is a very average E.P. that I've reduced to two stars simply because it's not worth the effort of tracking down, compared to the longer albums that essentially contain more of the same. As the precursor to 'Astralism' it fails to advance the band's sound to any degree, and I can't really fathom a reason for its existence beyond attempting to make a little bit more money from the fans who were so desperate for a second 2005 release that they couldn't wait six months for the album.

1. Raiders of the Ark
2. Easy Rider
3. Far Beyond the Astral Doors
4. Another Day in Hell
5. Moonstruck Woman (Remix)

Summary: Astral Doors' first E.P. (2005).