Above Empires is the third album from Swedish metal band Aktaion, it's the first that has been crafted in a studio, they had a year to prepare before collaborating with Studio Fredman and Obsidian Recording Studios for the recording, and mixing and mastering together with along with the legendary Fredrik Nordström. Above Empires is a modern metal album that starts to rip at the flesh from the opening moments of North Of The Sun, it's in keeping with the bands requirements for this album where they wanted to move away from the longer progressive elements they have used before, this album sees them stripping things down and focus on getting as much out of every song as possible.
Chunky down-tuned riffs start North Of The Sun as the vocalist spits venom in the verses as the song explodes into big clean choruses. It's a decidedly modern affair with, technical riffs that never detract from the straightforward approach, slipping in harmonized leads and solos without breaking the grooves of tracks such as the aggressive King Crab which brings more industrialised death metal sounds, I suppose laziness could make you call it Swede-death making comparisons to Soilwork or Arch Enemy but also they have the percussive appeal of Slipknot on Before The Face Of God along with more ambient blackened metal sounds on the title tracks. Above Empires has a similar mix of styles to that of UK extreme bruisers Krysthla, nothing every moves into the lighter realms as even when the clean vocals are used more the musical backing is still skull crushing (In The Blink Of An Eye and Know Fear). An impressive third release from these Swedes if you love heavy, technical metal delivered with precision then Above Empires will be for you! 8/10
SellSword: ...Unto The Breach (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
The marauding horde that are York mercenary metal band SellSword return with the follow up to their 2016 debut ...And Now We Ride. Now be warned as this is about as epic, grandiose and downright silly. Since the previous release they have lost two of their founding members Jacek and Alex, however their roles on guitar and drums have been filled and it's into glory ride from SellSword. It's the sort of music Dragonforce made early into their career, guitar solo heavy, cinematic keys and a drumming style that rampages like a cavalry at full pelt. Opening with Pendragon lyrically it starts as it means to go on with a song about King Arthur facing Saxons.
It's a frantic speed metal assault with some spoken word pieces in the center and solo trade offs, followed by the marching Inquisitor which is probably about Tomás de Torquemada who led the Spanish Inquisition and there involvement with witch trials. A mix of Blind Guardian and Sabaton, though Buccaneers could be SellSword's second album puts a goofy grin on your face from the first song. Tom Keeley (bass) and Tom Warner (drums) are a tightly coiled rhythm section driving along the grandiose metal herein as the dual axe attack of James Stephenson and Henry Mahy rampages all over these songs.
Where SellSword really have an advantage is with the almost operatic vocals of Stuart Perry, he commands the record with his performance as they move through 8 songs that are longer and more complex than anything on their debut, seeing SellSword going to a higher level than they did on their debut. It's more mature but it's far from growing up epic fantasy metal done as well as any of their European compatriots. 8/10
Draugr: Hymns Of Temptation (Self Released) [Manus Hopkins]
Draugr’s Bandcamp page says this album took years to write, and the band spent more than another year working on its production. For now, we’ll just say, it really shows. Hymns Of Temptation is a breathtaking record, made all the more impressive by the fact that it’s a self-produced, independent release. Each track brings with it something new, the album constantly building upon itself through its eight songs. While they blend together perfectly for a beginning-to-end listen, every track is also like its own symphony, especially given the adventurous orchestral elements. There’s not a weak or out of place song on the entire album.
There are many standout elements on the record, like the catchiness of Towards The End, the virtuosity of Kingdom Of The Shades and melody of Hymn Of Temptation. Draugr easily prove with this record that they are a band that should be onstage with their influences, some of whom they name as Children Of Bodom, Kalmah and Wintersun. It’s not surprising to see that these bands have influenced Draugr’s sound, but to call them a copycat band would be wrong. Similar playing and vocal styles are exist between those groups, but Draugr’s song writing is something else, and something epic. 9/10
Elusion: Singularity (Self Released) [Lee Burgess]
Elusion, please, repeat after me. We are NOT Epica! We are NOT Nightwish! We are NOT Lacuna Coil! There is currently an argument raging that the metal world should embrace “female fronted” as yet another sub-genre of metal. Well, whichever side of that debate you fall on, and I know which side I do, this is yet another female fronted power metal outfit that just don’t make the grade. The problems start right from the beginning. We are battered with strings and annoying supposedly angelic voices as a corny intro to a corny album. We are then offered track after track of so-called symphonic heaviness. My problem with all this is that unlike the aforementioned trio of bands, there is no real character or unique selling point.
Elusion: Singularity (Self Released) [Lee Burgess]
Elusion, please, repeat after me. We are NOT Epica! We are NOT Nightwish! We are NOT Lacuna Coil! There is currently an argument raging that the metal world should embrace “female fronted” as yet another sub-genre of metal. Well, whichever side of that debate you fall on, and I know which side I do, this is yet another female fronted power metal outfit that just don’t make the grade. The problems start right from the beginning. We are battered with strings and annoying supposedly angelic voices as a corny intro to a corny album. We are then offered track after track of so-called symphonic heaviness. My problem with all this is that unlike the aforementioned trio of bands, there is no real character or unique selling point.
With Singularity, Elusion had the chance to pound out some original music, but they have chosen to tread a well-worn path, full of music that would be more suited as the score to a low-budget fantasy series where the FX are as low-rent as the din that accompanies them. It really doesn’t matter about gender; it matters more that metal at least tries to give us something new. As with so many thrash bands who want to be Anthrax or Slayer, now we seem to have a string of outfits who feel the need to give us impersonations of endless bands fronted by women. But, and here’s the thing, my problem isn’t the vocals. This woman can belt out a tune. My problem isn’t the guitars or the technically proficient drumming. All this sounds very mean and groovy. My problem is (surprise surprise) the bloody cringe-worthy electronic wankery that all these bands seem to think is fun and melodic. I’ll let you into a little secret, it isn’t. It never was.
It’s just annoying. If this band just got on with riffing, singing and drumming, what we would be left with is a solid record with music to drive to and songs to sing on long boring journeys. I even found myself head-banging to tracks like My War Within. This is what makes me so sad, because I wanted more of that, and less of the damn keyboard-driven silliness. Give it a rest for fuck sake. 4/10
Draugr your album is top notch!
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