Album Review: Mob Rules – Stories From The Verdant Vale
Reviewed by Rich Oliver
“Stories From The Verdant Vale” is a compilation of bonus material recorded by the German power metal band Mob Rules. It is an album of two halves – the first half being new material that was recorded for the limited edition earbook version of their 2025 album “Rise Of The Ruler” whilst the second half are re-recordings of songs from the band’s first two albums – 1999’s “Savage Land” and 2000’s “Temple Of Two Suns” – which feature some special guests and were originally featured on the 2014 “Timekeeper (20th Anniversary Box)”. The band were extremely pleased with this bonus material and agreed it should be available to a wider audience. It means these songs are altogether in one place and available on vinyl for the first time.
Of the new material, you have the symphonic intro ‘Savage Land (Reprise)’ and then four full songs with the highlights being the fist pumping ‘Masquerade Ball’ and the anthemic onslaught of ‘Balance Of Power’ whilst the slower ‘Above The Maelstrom’ is epic and dramatic. As mentioned earlier, the re-recordings feature some special guests and appearances include Bernhard Weiß (Axxis), Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O.), Chity Somapala (ex-Firewind, ex-Power Quest) and Amanda Somerville (Kiske/Somerville) and these are very cool reinterpretations of some of the bands very early material.
“Rise Of The Ruler” was one of the best albums that Mob Rules had released in a while and the band were obviously still on a creative streak when writing the bonus material for the earbook edition of the album as the songs really stand up. The re-recordings are unessential but fun and the guest vocalists also add to the songs.
Whilst never receiving the attention of a lot of their contemporaries, Mob Rules have been a mainstay in German power metal since the late 90’s and have always delivered quality power metal across their ten albums. “Stories From The Verdant Vale” is more of a collectors item for the hardcore fan rather than an essential release. Avid collectors of Mob Rules releases will be happy to be able to have these songs pressed onto vinyl for the first time and there is some fantastic material to be found here but the casual power metal fan will probably bypass this release.
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