Reviews@Stimulans – See the Light (CD)

Stimulans – See The Light

Label: Miner Recordings

Year: 16.10.2015

Format: CD (Jewelcase)

Country: Croatia

Genre: Rock

Still: Heavy Metal

Stimulans is a heavy metal band from Split, that is active since 2001, and See the Light is their second full-length. Music and lirics are credited to Mario Čuljak, vocalist and guitarist of the band.  For very interesting artwork and graphic design of the booklet guilty as charged is Vlada Vulić. The album was recorded in Wave studio, with Darko Grubišić (guitar) behind the production desk, untill the mix and master is done by Ivan Jurić from Sound Kitchen Studio. Musically it is very hard to determine the influences that defined the direction of bands music. Songs are mostly of middle tempo (except speed acceleration in songs „Sailing On“ a typical NWOBHM headbanger in the manner of the best songs of Saxon from their earlier period, and „Hopeless (Warrior)“, but with heavy rifffs. There is everything in their music, from mentioned Saxon, over Maiden (especially in lead work), Dio.... Lirics are very interesting and in style they've reminded me on almost occult lirics of Led Zeppelin.

Surely, here we have a band which carries its colors with pride and is not ashamed of what it is. From every tone you cah hear that all band members are musitians with experience.  The band sounds tight and you can hear in their music a lot of hours spent in their rehersal space. Songs are pretty much in one tempo and that can be a minus for this album, but in the case of Stimulans it somehow works in their account.  It is for sure that Stimulans have fans who will listen them to, because love towards real old school metal never dies out.  What is expecially goot is the fact that there are people on the territory of ex-Yugoslavia who are ready to push that old vibe, according to many worn out, but they will do it only because they like it that way. Maybe somebody will call their name out because they think Stimulans are playing on safe card because they play music  that they know will have fans.  This might be true. But is looks to me that in what Stimulans is doing there is a bit more than that. They really enjoy in the music they are playing.  

It might be that previous album is better, or more diverse, but this might be not true. In any case, Stimulans is one of those bands that has started its musical voyage, they know their final destination, and they surely know how to get there. If you are the lover of Dio-era of Black Sabbath, Dio-solo project, already mentioned Saxon, and other bands which created and made popular genre of NWOBHM, then this is band for you. Album worhty of your listening time.

Written by: Igor Vlad Cepesh Živić

Rating : 8/10