What do you get when you combine punchy riffs, powerful vocals, disco hooks and fantasy tales? Angus McSix and the All-Seeing Astral Eye of course! The latest adventure from Angus McSix wastes no time throwing listeners straight back into its absurdly heroic universe.
Opening track “6666” begins in familiar territory as Angus McSix himself, Thomas Winkler, calls for aid with his mind. Trapped in magical ice, all hope seems lost until his brother Adam McSix hears the call. Enter Sam Nyman, stepping into the story and quickly making his presence felt. His vocals build in power and pitch before the song explodes with the chant “We need the power of the 6.6.6.6!” because clearly three sixes isn’t enough for this power metal supergroup. Drums gallop, keys shimmer and riffs climb up and down the scale in a frantic frenzy while the chorus hits with a punchy choir of voices shouting the numbers together. It’s a huge opener that serves as both a beginning and an ending, passing the torch from Angus to Adam and launching a brand new chapter for the band.
The story takes off with “The Fire of Yore”. Adam meets with his father, King X McSix, who tasks him with finding his brother, frozen and lost to the evil Seebulon. The only way to locate him is by finding the All-Seeing Astral Eye. With the aid of the best ork drummer the world has ever seen Gerit Lamm, and the legendary dwarven riffsmith Jasmin Pabst, Adam sets out to recruit Angus’ old ally, the queen of the Laser Amazons herself, Thalestris, portrayed by Thalia Bellazecca. Tasty riffs, ridiculously high vocals, and a techno bridge make this song as catchy as it is important for the story.
“I Am Adam McSix” then acts as the new hero’s grand introduction. The track begins more ballad-like than full power metal before steadily building into something much bigger. This is Adam’s moment to rise as the new frontman and leader of the newly formed supergroup, which honestly feels more like a mismatched D&D party than a traditional band and I’m completely here for it. As the song progresses, so do Adam’s vocals, shifting from the highest highs to deeper, grittier tones before snapping back to clean power metal delivery. With features from Rhapsody of Fire and Alexander Krull, who is literally a screaming cauldron in the music video, the song becomes one of the album’s standout moments. Adam receives his legendary loot from this little side quest, and now its all eyes (or ears) on the main story!
One of the most entertaining moments on the album arrives with “Dig Down”, featuring the unmistakable voices of Van Canto. As a long-time fan of the band, this song with their feature was the one I was most excited to hear! If you don’t know them, Van Canto are an a cappella metal band, which is exactly as ridiculous and awesome as it sounds. Their contribution here plays out in a way I never could have predicted, including what might be the first anti-dwarf-bullying segment I’ve ever heard in a power metal song, with Adam briefly cast as the bad guy!? Still, as Van Canto’s Hagen eventually points out, his tune really is ridiculously catchy. When the band return to join Adam for the final chorus, the combined vocals create a massive wall of sound that genuinely gave me goosebumps. It’s easily one of the album’s highlights.
Elsewhere the band continue leaning into their wonderfully chaotic genre mixing. “Techno Men”, featuring Turmion Kätilöt, does exactly what the name suggests. A spicy techno intro, distorted vocals and endless waves of synth give the song a strange but addictive energy that feels somewhere between classic Eurodance and power metal theatrics. Adam pushes his voice to ridiculous heights here. Another octave higher and you might have to worry about windows shattering nearby. I’m probably completely off here, but this song made me think ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ x Eiffel 65’s ‘Blue (Da Ba Dee).
By the time “Ork Zero” arrives it’s the drummer’s turn to shine. At this point I’m starting to get a little tired of these ridiculously upbeat choruses… mainly because they’re far too catchy and I can’t stop moving along with them. Oh, and as far as bridges go, only Angus McSix could deliver a bridge that has you picturing a group of orks chanting “ORK!” inside an underground German disco nightclub.
“Starlight Stronghold” follows, initially feeling like it might be following a predictable path, and just as that thought begins forming in my head the song suddenly shifts gears entirely. The tempo changes, the energy ramps up and suddenly it sounds like something straight out of a Mortal Kombat fight scene. Well played.
A short instrumental interlude arrives with “Aetheriyja”, transporting us briefly to Adam’s homeland. A synth intro tiptoes along before heavier riffs and pounding drums take over. The pace slows slightly, leaning closer to classic metal than power metal before the track abruptly cuts out.
The silence is quickly shattered by the opening of “Let The Search Begin”. Aggressive Electronic melodies kick things off before the riffs and drums pile on, building momentum as the song charges forward. As the track reaches its peak, Adam repeatedly shouts the title line, pushing his voice higher and higher in pitch each time. Just when you think he’s reached the limit, he somehow finds another gear!
Humour runs throughout the album, but it really shines in “The Power of Metal”, featuring Freedom Call. Small lyrical quips and playful delivery moments make it feel as though Adam is half aware of the ridiculous adventure he’s part of, almost breaking the fourth wall at times. At one point he even questions who he’s talking to. A deep narrator voice suddenly appears to recap the journey, and you can feel the entire album has been building toward this moment.
Marching drums and symphonic grandeur open “Into Battle”, bringing the album’s story to a dramatic close, at least for now. It feels like the final scene of your favourite show’s season finale. The heroes charge into battle, the music swells, the tension rises and then suddenly everything cuts to black. “To be continued…” On such a big energy album the cliffhanger ending feels slightly frustrating, but it definitely leaves the door wide open for whatever comes next.
Listening to Angus McSix and the All-Seeing Astral Eye almost feels like hearing the recordings of a chaotic game of Dungeons and Dragons between musical friends who had a few too many drinks and watched one too many Will Ferrell movies (Eurovision in particular). There are clichés everywhere, both musically and in the story itself, but that’s exactly part of the charm. It’s incredibly catchy, shamelessly fun and ridiculously easy to listen to. Even if you ignore the lyrics and the lore entirely, the music alone, with its lightning fast keyboard runs and sky piercing vocal highs, is more than enough to keep things moving.
The full experience is definitely best enjoyed alongside the band’s music videos. The costumes, visuals and tongue in cheek humour bring the story to life in a way that perfectly matches the music. But again, even without them, the album still feels huge, and Adam’s voice is genuinely impressive throughout.
Stepping into the role of Adam McSix was never going to be easy, but Nyman’s powerful delivery proves he fits the McSix world well. Whether he stays long term or Angus eventually returns to reclaim the throne, Adam’s chapter has been a fun one, and I’m definitely keen to see where the story goes next.
Rating:
8/10
Adam McSix (Samuel Nyman) – Vocals
The Dwarf (Jasmin Pabst) – Guitars
Thalestris (Thalia Bellazecca) – Guitars
Archdemon Seebulon (Sebastian „Seeb“ Levermann / Rafael Dobbs Roa) – Guitars
Ork Zero (Gerit Lamm) – Drums
