Elegant Weapons' 'Evolution' - Album Review

I think that it is fair to say that when Elegant Weapons, the heavy metal four-piece led by Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, came together I was somewhat suspicious. Over the years, so many supposed supergroups have failed to live up to the initial hype and promise. For a band to succeed, real chemistry is needed between its members - and sometimes supergroups just lack such. Not all top-quality musicians are compatible with each other - which means that many supergroups crash and burn quickly or just seem quite bland from the off. Frontiers Records have also put together so many over the years that some of them seem like they were created by a random number generator - but thankfully the label seems to have somewhat moved away from that approach now. At first, Elegant Weapons really felt like a band that could have appeared on Frontiers - partly due to the random nature of the band members as well as the presence of frontman Ronnie Romero, who has sung on a number of Frontiers-related projects over the years. Romero's inclusion was another reason I was a bit hesitant to approach Elegant Weapons. I have liked Romero since he fronted Rainbow, but there was a period where he seemed to be the go-to singer for every guitar hero and new hard rock/metal project out there - so the pairing of him with Faulkner seemed like the next in a long line of similar pairings. Despite all of this, I ended up quite enjoying the band's debut album Horns for a Halo (which I reviewed here) when it was released in 2023. It is not an album that I have returned to all that often since those initial few months following its release, but it was a pleasant surprise and it turned out to be a pretty memorable and melodic hard rock/heavy metal album. The band even played a few shows, mostly at festivals, during 2023 - establishing themselves as a proper band and not just one of those studio projects that never really goes anywhere. Given that Faulkner is a part of Judas Priest, though, Elegant Weapons have been on the back burner for a while. Despite the ages of some of those involved, Judas Priest are still a pretty busy band when it comes to touring. They have released an album since Horns for a Halo dropped - and are, I believe, working on a follow-up. It is great that Judas Priest are still so busy, but it does mean that a band like Elegant Weapons is always going to come second. I wondered if they would end up being a one-and-done act - but last month their second album Evolution was released. If anything, Evolution is the first album by the 'proper' Elegant Weapons band. It is the first to properly feature both bassist Davey Rimmer (Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction; Monument; Uriah Heep) and drummer Christopher Williams (War Within; Blackfoot; Accept), although the latter was euphemistically credited with additional drums and percussion on Horns for a Halo - which could mean either a very limited or quite a significant involvement. They replace Rex Brown and Scott Travis respectively, who played on the first album but never toured with the band. As such, the band that supported Horns for a Halo live are the core group here - although a couple of guest musicians help to flesh things out where necessary. As was the case previously, Faulkner was the driving force here - writing all of the songs and co-producing the album alongside Andy Sneap. As was the case previously, too, and despite it somewhat feeling like a solo project of a guitarist, Evolution is a very song-based and melodic hard rock/heavy metal album - with plenty of hooks, strong riffs, and fluid guitar solos.

Compared to my memories of Horns for a Halo, too, Evolution feels like a stronger album overall. Quite a few of the songs here are instantly quite hooky, and the fact that Romero has largely stopped being everyone's singer-for-hire and has started to focus more on his own solo career means that hearing his voice is not as ubiquitous as it once was. Kicking off with Evil Eyes, a fast-paced and busy guitar riff openings things up - before a weightier, simplified version of the same riff persists when the rest of the band join in. This album overall is quite weighty, and it straddles the line between 1970s heavy-hitting hard rock and heavy metal quite nicely - exhibiting traits of both. Williams' drumming is pretty metallic at times, with some busy, double bass drum-led fills, but there are also plenty of grooves - with the verses here largely based around a slab-like riff to really allow Romero to power through. Faulkner has always been a great guitarist, but he knows when to play and when to pull back. He does throw in guitar leads here and there, but he very much plays for the song - allowing the vocals and main riffs to shine, and then only soloing when it would make a difference. The main solo here is fast-paced and memorable - and acts as a bit of a coda to the overall chorus melodies, which are memorable thanks to some tight Romero lines. Perhaps my favourite song here, though, is Generation Me - a more mid-paced affair with easily the album's best chorus. Pulling in the pace of the previous song, the opening riff here feels heavier and more lumbering - with a slight Black Sabbath edge at times. Elegant Weapons allows Faulkner to showcase some different sides of his guitar playing, and the main riff here would likely not work that well on a Judas Priest album - and neither would the swinging verses with their snaking guitar groove and prominent bass playing. Screaming, bluesy guitar leads punctuate Romero's verse lines - before he really gets to shine during the hooky chorus with some bouncy vocal melodies that leap out of the speakers. This was one of the songs that really stood out to me when I first heard the album, and it remains a favourite even now. It just feels so memorable, from the groovy riffs to the big chorus - and Faulkner's later guitar solo is even quite anthemic, ending with some neo-classical melodies. Bridges Burn is another more mid-paced song, but there is a bit more of smoother sound on show throughout. As such, despite some metallic drum fills, this track feels more like a melodic hard rock song - albeit with a lack of keyboard depth. The main guitar riff is knotty, with a bit of a 1980s hair metal vibe, whilst the verses are strident with a strutting power chord pattern and Romero's confident vocals. The juddering pre-chorus riff does create a more metallic feel overall briefly, and gives Rimmer's bass prominence in the mix, but the following chorus, with its clean guitar melodies and smoother overall chord transitions, has a slight AOR edge without the song ever fully tipping over into such. A later bridge section feels a bit different due to an off-kilter riff - but overall this is a pretty melodic number. Holy Roller reins in the pace a bit further, and goes for a slow-moving, bluesy vibe with another riff that sounds a little like early Black Sabbath. Apart from during their early days, Judas Priest have rarely had a bluesy sound. In fact it was perhaps Judas Priest that truly finalised the 'metal' sound by removing the last remnants of the blues - so Faulkner has some fun here with a bit of a bluesier approach. The slower pace allows the riffing to hit hard, though, whilst Williams lays down a heavy drum groove behind it. Vocally, Romero delivers a suitably gritty performance. He mixes things up quite a bit during the album, sounding smoother elsewhere, but here he sounds tougher - with the swinging chorus still remaining hooky despite the slower approach.

Come Back to Me is the album's ballad, and it is one of two songs to feature Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne; Headspace; Strawbs; Snakecharmer) on keyboards. Wakeman's retro Hammond organ can be heard from the off, as it adds melodic depth beneath Faulkner's bluesy guitar leads during the intro. Most of the best hard rock and metal albums contain a ballad, and Come Back to Me is a memorable one. I think ballads are likely some of the hardest songs to write for rockers, but this one is a good mix of melodic and emotive - with Romero delivering a very believable vocal whilst Wakeman's keyboards add a lot to the overall arrangement without ever dominating. There is a lot of room for Faulkner to add some emotive, bluesy guitar leads, too. The intro sets this tone, but during the verses he is regularly soloing away behind the vocals - and during the first verse the rhythm section are absent to make these leads even more prominent. The chorus is more vocal-focused, which is fitting given the hooky melodies and Romero's overall performance - but it is unsurprising that there is a proper guitar solo later, even if Romero ad-libs over it. The Devil Calls opens with a little synth melody which Faulkner soon starts to double with his guitar, and the song soon builds around this - with Williams laying down lots of drum fills until a more typical guitar riff kicks in. Following the ballad, and the slower song before it, the pace is picked up here - and there is an energy created from the off thanks to the faster riffing and busy drumming. That being said, though, once the verse kicks in the pace does slow somewhat - instead creating more of a mid-paced groove thanks to some slab-like riffing and a tough vocal delivery. Pace-wise, then, the song covers a lot of ground. The chorus sees the intro's synth melody return in the background, so it feels a little faster, whereas other riff-led instrumental sections are strangely off-kilter and almost tech metal-inspired. There is a lot going on during this song, then, especially when the early pace returns later on for a faster vocal-led section and a busy guitar solo. Thrown to the Wolves returns to a muscular mid-paced sound, and it is another track which somewhat goes for a bluesy feel. Despite this, though, there is still plenty of weight here - and there remains a heaviness despite a more retro approach being focused on. American blues guitarist Jared James Nichols guests on the song, playing lead guitar alongside Faulkner. Despite this, the song is not as lead guitar-heavy as it perhaps could be. It is quite happy to sit back on a tough and infectious blues groove thanks to some strong riffing for much of its runtime - but there is a short, potent solo early on, and following the second chorus and a riffy bridge section there is a bit more of a guitar showcase. Romero's grittier vocal style is put to good use here and he suits the lumbering song nicely - whilst the guitar interplay between Faulkner and Nichols later on is one of the album's more extended instrumental workouts. Shooting Shadows, despite opening with a more atmospheric guitar moment, ups the heaviness and pace - and at times reminds me more of Faulkner's day job with Judas Priest - at least in terms of the main riff and verses. The chorus is more typical of the harder rock approach found on this album, with a smoother synth backing and Romero's hooky melodies, but there is something about the directness of the main riff and Romero's vocal delivery during the verses that reminds me of Judas Priest. He certainly sounds a bit different to usual during the verses, and the song overall has a toughness and an energy to it which is different from the album's usual approach.

Rupture, which follows, is an instrumental piece - so is, unsurprisingly, based around Faulkner. As I said earlier, he knows when to hold back during a song and when to push forward, always playing for the song, but it is fitting that he gets more of a showcase here. Despite what might be expected, though, the song is not just one long guitar solo. It opens atmospherically, with synths and delicate guitar patterns - before slow-moving bluesy guitar melodies soon fold in around this arrangement. Guitar instrumentals can sometimes feel like they do not really go anywhere, but this composition feels like a proper journey - from the atmospheric intro to the bluesy guitar leads and cinematic playing which follows. Clearly much of the album is based around soloing, but the soloing always feels purposeful and melodic - and there is little just playing for its own sake. It feels like a key part of the album, and is short enough to not outstay its welcome, so when Mercy of the Fallen later kicks in it feels as it little time as passed. Mercy of the Fallen ups the pace again and feels like a much more hard-hitting metal track. The opening guitar riff has a bit of a 1980s power metal feel to it, but the song overall is pretty typical of the heavier end of this album. There is still some variety to be found, though. Whilst the main riff is energetic and relatively pacey, the and the verses are strident with a decent pace and a real headbanging groove, the chorus feels a bit more restrained - with a synth undercurrent and some more melodic vocals from Romero. If anything some of the cinematic feel of the instrumental track is retained here. The synth undercurrent seems to link the two songs somewhat, whilst Faulkner's later guitar solo seems to build on the vibe of the previous number. The first half of the lengthy solo does in any case, which is more of a slow-burn with a big scope - before a much faster and more shredded solo takes over to really up the pace and overall energy. The album then comes to a close with Keeper of the Keys - the longest song here at just over seven minutes and the other to feature Wakeman's playing. His organ is heard from the off, as he creates a warm base for some initial clean guitar melodies and delicate vocals. The song builds slowly, then, with the guitars and keyboards swirling around Romero's vocals - until the rhythm section joins in and Romero turns his clean guitar melodies into a slightly more gritty riff. The warm tone remains, though, and there is no real heaviness during this section. The song builds in a very organic manner - and, whilst it never really feels like true a ballad, there are certainly ballad-like tendencies here. The arrangement overall is just much more expansive than anything else here really. The organ is ever-present, which is not something typically heard on the album, whilst Faulker plays a lot of lead guitar throughout. The clean guitar melodies and the riff which they later form into resurface a lot, but there is also a lot of bluesy soloing and lead playing throughout - as well as a more emotive and varied vocal from Romero. Given that most of this album is pretty heavy and riff-led, it works well to close things out with something a bit more laid back, layered, and interesting. There is definitely a Led Zeppelin feel to the overall arrangement and approach, without the song actually sounding like that band, and it really showcases a different side of Faulkner's songwriting and guitar playing. Overall, then, I have enjoyed this album more than I enjoyed Horns for a Halo - and it is good to see Elegant Weapons progressing and creating a core sound for themselves. The songwriting here is a bit more memorable overall in my opinion - with a good mix of faster songs and riffier, mid-paced groovy numbers. I would like to see some of these songs played live, but given that Judas Priest seem as busy as ever, I imagine that opportunities to take the band on the road will be limited.

The album was released on 24th April 2026 via Exciter Records. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Bridges Burn.