Bavarian metallers Powertryp have taken twelve years to get to this point – the debut full-length release of their career. That’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and at Sentinel Daily we know just how hard it is to get any sort of release out, so let’s pause now to congratulate them on finally getting out into the marketplace…

Was it worth the wait? Well, for the band and all around them, of course it was. But the wider world might be slightly less excited. Y’see, Powertryp’s rigid orthodoxy just doesn’t particularly lend itself to the casual observer; the material served up on Midnight Marauder is never less than solid, but equally it’s never particularly inspired, either. Opening track Brothers In Speed kicks off proceedings in the manner of a more polite version of Swedish rivetheads Bullet, whilst the best of the early tracks on the album, By My Hand, might cause brief thoughts of Grand Magus to flash across the front of the brain. But that’s about as much excitement as you are going to get here.

For the most part, workmanlike anthems like Bastet, a sort of Running Wild offcut, are the order of the day, as the band mix hard rock and Euro metal in equal measure. Hotter Than Hellfire pushes the envelope just a little, and features a great vocal from Johannes Korda; it’s here that you get the sense that, having now established themselves, there is room for the band to expand their horizons into more progressive territory. Cole Stabler and Stefan Dziallas trade solos nicely, and the resultant noise created- not too far away from latterday Metal Church – points to a bright future if the band consider this direction a viable one.

We’ll leave it there, as it’s always good to end on a high note. Powertryp have broken out, and now they have the future in their hands – good luck guys!

Midnight Marauder releases on February 1st.