The wait is over! Pharaoh returns with their first album in nine years, The Powers That Be! Long-running American metallers Pharaoh emerge with The Powers That Be, a nine-song offering of challenging melodic metal featuring a guest solo from Voivod's Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain! Nearly 25 years ago, drummer Chris Black (High Spirits) conceived Pharaoh at a party while listening to Saxon. Shortly thereafter, he emailed one his fellow metal 'zine writers, Matt Johnsen, selling him on the idea. At the time, Black
was focused on Dawnbringer; Johnsen was simply excited to be part of an exciting new project. The object was to create a melodic metal band - a certifiably "un-hip" thing circa the late 1990s - that tapped into their deep well of influences. Once Black and Johnsen landed the services of up-and-coming singer Tim Aymar (Control Denied, Psycho Scream) and bassist Chris Kerns, Pharaoh's permanent lineup was born, embarking on a journey that has produced now five studio albums of unmistakable class and quality, the latest being The Powers That Be.The Powers That Be also includes a guest guitar solo from longtime collaborator Jim Dofka (Dofka) on "Ride Us to Hell," as well as a new face, Voivod's Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain. Mongrain was a last-minute addition to the album - due to various scheduling conflicts, Pharaoh was approaching the eleventh hour to land a second guest soloist since the album was already tracked. But, once the band made contact with Mongrain, the Canadian guitarist delivered a stunning solo in less than a week for the album's title track.
