now/like a NIGHTWISH or EDENBRIDGE
I was prepared for a neoclassical/goth Metal outfit here and I got some Heavy Metal style with a “dark” surrounding and some not-bad-female singing by Agnieszka Sulich. So, “Touch Of Evil” is the second album by ACCESS DENIED and was originally (and obscurely) released by some Metal Mundus label, now seeing an expanded pressing/distribution by Pitch Black Records.
Either way, the music does not change: the guitars worship the IRON MAIDEN techniques exposed all these years to the Metal world and the rhythm section plays safe and basically in mid-pace patterns. Agnieszka sings in a not-that-broadened level but I think I prefer this Doro-resembling style rather than having a NIGHTWISH or EDENBRIDGE clone… again. The big problem seems to be the songs melodies themselves: no major shivers are occurring here, even if in a couple of songs (call them “Secret Place” and “Touch Of Evil”) the quintet shows enough potential for memorable licks and refrains. Without the voice of the lady (which is not by any means something extraordinary but has enough guts whatsoever), I think the music would be even more undressed…
If ‘traditional’ Metal music had only a few representatives in our days, I would possibly recommend “Touch Of Evil” due to its obvious made-by-fans character. But that’s not what’s happening in our days. Hence, invest only if you saw your salary increasing monstrously the last months…
01 Intro 01:56
02 Messenger of Death 03:09
03 Suicide Mind 03:40
04 One Night 03:00
05 Secret Place 03:33
Don’t Tell Me 04:44
07 My Dreams 03:37
08 Violence of Mind 03:38
09 Touch of Evil 05:58