Album Cover

By Justin D.

Formed in 2012, American power metal band Judicator was created by Tony Cordisco (guitarist) and John Yelland (vocals). They originally met at a Blind Guardian show and the rest was basically history. Since then, they have now written three albums (with “At the Expense of Humanity” being their newest work), all to completely different effects. Rather than write the same album over and over, this band tries to go the extra mile and do something new and fresh with each individual release. Their first album “King of Rome” brought us a concept album about the final days of Napoleon Bonaparte alongside good old fashioned speed metal sounds. Their sophomore effort (coming out a mere six/seven months later), “Sleepy Plessow” changed things up by adding more complexity and focus, with a larger ambition in general. But we’re not here to talk about the past. What does “At the Expense of Humanity” have to offer us?

The short answer is quite a bit. Are you a fan of Blind Guardian? How about Ayreon? Or simply Iron Maiden? If you answered yes to any of these, then you’re already going to feel right at home. While still a power metal album at heart, there are many more touches of progression that are sure to please fans of who crave complexity in their metal. Unlike the historically-driven lyrics of the previous two albums, the band focused their efforts this time on building another type of concept album. “At the Expense of Humanity” is a philosophical journey about loss of a loved one, its effects on the mind and those around you, and those defining moments in life that help shape us into who we are today. This is not light material by any means, and I could imagine some of the lyrics even causing someone to get wind in their eyes if unprepared.

John Yelland’s vocals are remarkably similar to Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian fame, and that is not an easy thing for anyone to replicate. That’s also not to say he’s coming off as some type of imitation either, as he very much makes his own sound. All of the musicians on this LP (Tony Cordisco on guitars, Joseph Palomares on bass, Tyler Sherrill on keyboards, and Jordan Elcess on drums) bring something special to the table. The precision and overall professional sound of this group has gone up heavily with each entry. You would think this album came from a big producer like Nuclear Blast USA or Roadrunner, it’s that well-made.

Some truly standout tracks for me (though it’s hard to choose any since they all shine in their own unique ways) were “God’s Failures,” “Lucid Nightmare,” “Nemesis/Fratricide,” and “At the Expense of Humanity.” I think these best represent what the band is capable of, while also showing how they try to go above and beyond at the same time. If you listen to the catchy “God’s Failures” and don’t somehow get the chorus stuck into your head, I would be very surprised. The other songs mentioned above are all epic in scale, ranging from dark and moody, all the way to fast and furious, usually in the same song. The band also has a knack for not wasting your time. Nothing in any of the tracks of this album will make you feel like the band has outstayed its welcome. In fact, it’s the opposite, in that you’ll actually be craving more instead.

While it’s strange for me to say something like this, the band has actually scratched my itch for Blind Guardian more than Blind Guardian itself has in recent years (though that’s not to say I dislike anything they’ve put out either). There’s a special kind of energy and concentration that makes this band absolutely charming and a real blast to listen to. Power metal is alive and well. If you have any shred (pun intended) of respect for the genre, you would do well to look this band up and get to banging your head up and down. This is easily the best album I’ve heard so far this year, and from what I’ve heard of the new Blind Guardian release so far, “At the Expense of Humanity” may actually top it.

9/10

The album’s official release date is March 28, 2015. The band was kind enough to provide me with a digital copy for pre-ordering their CD, which I used to write this review.

Listen to “God’s Failures” below!