Hounds plays high-quality heavy metal with a bit of a power metal edge to it, but not enough to push them into that category - they have too much nutsack for that. The vocals definitely remind me of Matthew Barlow of Iced Earth fame, but the music is more in line with something like Savatage if I have to make a comparison to anything. They have quite the pair of guitarists, with harmonies and solos to accent the killer riffs found all over the album. You can't hear the beginning of a song like "A.O.R." and not bang your fuckin' head to the riff. Their singer can carry a melody, but isn't a virtuoso - he rather sings metal as fuck, with a lower tone than a lot of metal singers, and his gravelly delivery is spot-on for this band. Some of their songs are long, with the eponymous "Rise of the Immortals" coming in at about eight and a half minutes, and it's a glorious eight and a half minutes, a true metal masterpiece. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this one, so take my word for it, true metal maniacs, and find out for yourself.
