The Richmond, Kentucky-based metal machine called Pownd is truly a case of what happens when the best of both worlds collide! Mixing the aggressive nature of modern heavy metal with the grooves and riffs of classic metal legends like Black Sabbath and the barbed wire hooky-ness of 80s metal, Pownd is truly a great find for all of us who love modern metal, but are also dying for an act who can give a generous nod to past heavyweights that paved the way for the new breed.

Pownd consists of vocalist Michael Duncan, guitarists Ronnie Duncan and Rick Sargent, bassman Steve Watts, and drummer Clint McMaine. After catching the attention of Lance King at Nightmare Records, the band inked a deal and released their debut disc Circle Of Power a few months ago. Aggressively racking up the miles on the road to support their new album, Pownd has been gaining many new fans and glowing reviews for Circle Of Power.

Wait a minute! I know what you are thinking…metal from Kentucky? Well, there is more to the Bluegrass State than just lap steel guitars and country music! Pownd proves that they deliver the steel in slabs and pack more thunder than the lead pack in the home stretch at Churchill Downs. Let us join the circle and press play!

From the moment the first notes hit on the album opener “Still I Bleed”, to the hysterical laughter at the closing of the thrash metallish bruiser “Swatting Flies”, ruthless aggression is the name of the game when it comes to heavy metal Pownd style! Most of the tracks on the album, with the exception of the seven-minute epic ballad (and I use the term loosely because it packs much more of a wallop than a ballad of the traditional sense) “Never Means Forever”, do not last longer than four or five minutes. The tracks are literally bursting at the seams with slabs of concrete riff raff, mesmerizing solos, knot hard rhythm work, and the old-school vocals of Michael Duncan. I said before that Pownd has an awesome tendency to bring together the best of the old and new school of metal, and I mean it! “Still I Bleed” mixes Black Sabbath meets Metallica intensity, and hair metal polish with an engaging industrial style keyboard loop. “Blind” ridicules modern man for its ignorance while pummeling you over the head with sledgehammer power with the hopes that maybe man will come to its senses. “Monster” is a track that is truly worthy of its title, and its main hook will definitely eat you alive. The album just grabs you from the beginning and never lets up for a break, as most of the songs, as I said before, are short, sharp stabs at the cranium that deliver maximum intensity on every note. Other standouts on Circle Of Power include the wave-inducing sonic assault “Slowly Drowning”, the locomotive breath and ear splitting shrieks of “Ellie”, and the aforementioned mosh pit frenzy of “Swatting Flies”.

The band has the ability to dish out some serious melodic metal thunder! Vocalist Michael Duncan has a voice that will thrill fans of old-school metal screamers. Take some Coverdale, some Dio, and mix in a little Dickinson and Halford, and you always have a recipe for vocal magic as he mixes high screams with some surprisingly soulful metal crooning! Ronnie Duncan and Rick Sargent set the fireworks ablaze with their sludgy shredding as the six-string foundry pounds out the steel. The duo of Watts and McMaine set off the Richter scale with a 7.0 temblor fueled by throbbing bass and speaker shaking skin pounding! Pownd truly pounds!

Circle Of Power is truly an impressive debut for a band that is just beginning to shake Kentucky and the rest of the USA to its veritable foundations. This explosive quintet is also pounding the pavement (no pun intended) vigorously as it looks to increase its already growing fan base. So, if you ever head down to the Richmond, Kentucky area, and put your ear to the ground, I can bet you that it isn’t the hooves of the thoroughbreds at the Derby. It’s probably some listener playing Circle Of Power at full blast! So get out and buy it and find out what’s causin’ all this!

Review written by: Matt B.         
Date: August 23, 2007             
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5