Metal Underground.com

Although only the first official full-length from Armageddon Rev 16:16 – a band hailing from the island of Cyprus, which itself only has a handful of metal groups – “Sundown on Humanity” has the sound of an established power metal band that has already nailed down its sound. Perhaps that shouldn’t be too surprising, as the band has actually been around since the late ‘80s performing live and releasing demos, only now getting around to a proper studio full-length in 2014. That mix of old and new creates the excitement of a debut album mixed with the playing chops and technical proficiency of a long running band.

Anyone trying to judge a book by its cover will be in for a surprise on what style Armageddon Rev 16:16 plays. Despite the blasted wasteland on the cover and the title “Sundown on Humanity,” there’s not even a hint of black or death to be found here. This is pure old school power and traditional metal from beginning to end.

Most of the album sticks right in the sweet spot for power metal, not going too upbeat or taking it the other direction and trying to go for a darker sound than the genre can really support. The vocals have excellent power and range, not staying in the high pitched area power metal is known for, and the guitars frequently exhibit a thrash feel.

With twelve songs all around the five and six minute mark there’s around an hour of music to digest, resulting in a long and satisfying listen if you dig the style, although an album of this length could probably use a few more twists in style. There are only a handful of sound change-ups, like the atmospheric strumming and bell tolls in the background of “13-Seventh Eleven” or the Western style and whistling on “Why.” There are also some brief keyboard sounds in the background of “Fallen Angels and Lost Souls,” and a few more injections of symphonic elements like that could have raised the epic factor and made a more well-rounded album.

On the whole, “Sundown on Humanity” is a great entry in the power metal universe and a strong effort bolstering the Cyprus metal scene. Between the solid tracks and the guest appearances by members of metal alumni in Firewind and Arrayan Path, the band’s debut full-length is a great pick for anyone who digs power metal acts like Crescent Shield or anyone who wants an alternative to modern Iced Earth.