Saratoga
The Fighting Clan

August 2007
Released: 2006, Avispa Music
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: MetalChick

English really is the universal language. So much so that this exclusively Spanish singing metal band has re-recorded their 2004 release, EL CLAN DE LA LUCA, to be sung in English and be known to the world as THE FIGHTING CLAN. This decision came from the demand to make their music more 'accessible' to the non-Spanish speaking metal fans. Musically, the album is exactly the same as in 2004; only the lyrics have changed through translation.



Saratoga has the raw, straight-forward, classic metal feel that reminds me a lot of Venezuelan band Torre de Marfil. The drumming and fast riffs in songs like 'Ivory and White' and 'Asking for Forgiveness' have a more power metal feel than the rest; it's these tracks that stand out more than the basic, bland ones like 'Disappointment' (ironic?). The ballad 'If the Sun Rose,' though not spectacular, is well done as far as metal ballads go, with acoustic and heavy sections. Guitar solos are a highlight in each song, perhaps the best quality of Saratoga overall.



Maybe it's just me, but redoing an album just to sing it in English doesn't seem like good use of a band's time, when they could be writing an original album and sing that in English if they so desired (their website isn't even in English). Other Spanish bands like Warcry and Avalanch haven't taken the route of switching languages, since perhaps they realize that metal is what should be the universal language, not just the lyrics.