#atlantean-kodex — Public Fediverse posts

Morgen will ich mal wieder in's #NewForce nach #Erlangen. Die Forcler haben einen Abend unter dem Motto „Screams from the Underground" quasi genau für mich vorbereitet. Als Musikwunschliste kann ich dann einfach meine Kutte hinter die DJ-Theke reichen 😁 — freu' mich drauf!

> „Wir widmen uns den Abend über jüngeren Vertretern des traditionellen Metal, d.h. wir spielen aus aus den Bereichen New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, US Metal und Epic Doom der letzten Jahre.
Freut euch auf #Enforcer, #AtlanteanKodex, #UntoOthers, #Visigoth aber auch @mechanictyrants, #RiotCity, #NightDemon & Konsorten!“

Fer De Lance – Fires on the Mountainside Review

By Steel Druhm

Back in 2020, we were introduced to the epic and trve heavy metal assault of Chicago’s Fer De Lance. They attempted to harness the martial sounds of classic heavy metal and doom and blend it with the might of Viking era Bathorycore for an alchemic concoction sure to warhammer the eggshell skulls of the untrve. The Hyperborean was an album that foretold of greatness, but the sometimes awkward songwriting kept it from crossing the Rainbow Bridge and ascending to Valhalla. Now they’re back to fight their way back to the top of the epic metal food chain with sophomore opus Fires on the Mountainside, and things sound a lot different this time. The battle plans remain unchanged, but now the warriors bring a more seasoned and deadly level of skill to the struggle. With influences ranging from Crypt Sermon, Candlemass, Manowar, Bathory, and SIG:AR:TYR to use in their crusade of conquest, can Fer De Lance drive their enemies before them and hear the lamentations of their women? Can they paint the snow red as they plant the flag of domination over all pretenders and would-be usurpers? Stay tuned!

Opening an album with a nearly 13 minute song takes a certain amount of ballsy bravado, and the title track Fer De Lance drop on us demonstrates why they feel so cocksure. It’s a massive, sweeping overdose of epic metal that visits all corners of the genre and defiles the tombs of their forefathers. It comes into being with stirring but restrained, flamenco-inspired guitar work that sets the table for a grand adventure even the craftiest Dungeon Master would struggle to conceive. From there, things escalate rapidly into bold traditional metal led forcefully by MP Papai (ex-Professor Emeritus), who brings an enormous vocal range to the campaign, soaring boldly over spirit-embiggening riffs that climb to the Godz on high. There’s a strong Crypt Sermon vibe at first, but around the 4th minute, things take a hard turn toward Hammerheart-era Bathory and Ereb Altor with MP lapsing into blackened barks. It all comes together seamlessly with beautiful and striking guitars paving the way up the mountain of doom. It’s a massive song that takes you to breathtaking places to meet fascinating people (and kill them), and your chest size will grow by several inches by the time this workout ends. “Ravens Fly (Dreams of Daidalos)” is no smaller in epicness, though it’s considerably shorter. It channels Bathorycore at first before folksy and power metal elements surge forward. MP adopts a very Hansi-heavy vocal style as things veer into Blind Guardian over-the-toppness, and the adroit mix of styles really impresses and somehow hangs together to deliver a world-sized ass whooping.

Later track “Death Thrives (Where Walls Divide)” is another showstopper with a darker, more ominous sound and stunning guitar play, and then out of left field, you get sucker punched by a massive Lost Horizon influence with MP moving from blackened croaks to Daniel Heiman ear-shattering highs and power metal saturation bombing. But wait, there’s more! “The Feast of Echoes” is an absolute winner with a major Dio-era Black Sabbath / Rainbow vibe and 70s organ work swelling to generate layers of classic metal extravagance. But that Viking edge is never far removed, and things regularly drop to more extreme depths to add gristle and sinew to the composition. It all just freaking works! Are there weak points in the armor? Sadly, yes. “Fire and Goldf” is a good mood piece with amazing guitar heroics, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. Closer “Tempest Stele”(why isn’t this “Tempest STEEL”??) is good with lots of interesting elements rising and falling, but it doesn’t equal the album’s high points. Just shy of 49 minutes, Fires on the Mountainside is a pleasure to experience, and even the presence of several long-form cuts doesn’t make it feel too dense of impenetrable. The production/mastering by Arthur Rizk is deft and allows you to hear what is going on, even when things get very busy. My one criticism is that there are moments when you get a “wall of sound” effect when everything runs at 11. It’s still vastly better than the mix on the debut, though.

There are too many accolades to distribute here to do everyone justice. MP Papai puts on an absolute clinic on metal vocals, ranging far and wide across genres and styles, doing everything humanly possible to put the weighty material over the top. I’m shocked at how diverse and adventurous he is from track to track, and some of those high notes are un-fucking-believable. MP also kills it on guitar along with J. Geist, serving up heaping helpings of elegant, fanciful noodles alongside an avalanche of muscular, macho riffs and doomy harmonies. They leave no stone unturned in their quest to imbue the compositions with a mammoth atmosphere, and at multiple point,s you’ll be stupefied by the beauty of their playing. The kit manhandling by Scud also must be credited. He brings a Scott Columbus (Manowar) work ethic to the raiding party, pounding the drums with furious anger to summon the War Godz of olde.

Back in 2022, I predicted Fer De Lance could be a dangerous competitor in the epic metal arena if they smoothed out their songcrafting. It’s very smooth now, and those who oppose them should extinguish their campfires and flee to the hills. Fires on the Mountainside is the album I wanted from Fer De Lance last time. It’s a wild, free-spirited, and refreshingly over-the-top offensive, and it will roll over your feeble defenses like waves over sea rocks. Welcome your new epic overlords.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Cruz del Sur
Websites: ferdelancemetal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ferdelancemetal | instagram.com/ferdelancechicago
Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025

#2025 #40 #AmericanMetal #AtlanteanKodex #Bathory #CruzDelSurMusic #EpicHeavyMetal #ErebAltor #HeavyMetal #Review #Reviews #SIGARTYR #TheHyperborean

#nowplaying - #atlanteankodex - the golden bough. Pure epicness in the form of riffs and metal.
https://youtu.be/f_Cw-CpDshw?si=jveLMOOInG1BuDsr
#heavymetal is our world, but has many ways and colours.

Warlord – Free Spirit Soar Review

By Steel Druhm

And the cannons of destruction have begun… anew! Long ago in a very different time, guitarist Bill Tsamis and drummer Mark Zonder (later to become a member of Fates Warning) joined forces to create a new heavy metal project. Warlord was a little band with a huge potential, and their early demos quickly caught the attention of Metal Blade Records. Their 1983 Deliver Us EP made an impression on the scene, offering regal, semi-progressive American power metal with hooks, pomp, and polish. Despite the promising start, lineup issues and the odd decision to use a live performance recorded and filmed in an empty theater as their full-length debut hurt their momentum.1 And though And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun… was a solid piece of 80s metal with some major high points, it gained limited traction and left a confused public wondering what to make of it. Further lineup issues quickly undermined the band’s resolve and Warlord came to an ignoble end all too soon. The band’s cult mystique endured however, and Hammerfall’s cover of EP track “Child of The Damned” on their Glory to the Brave debut introduced Warlord to a new generation of metal fans. Soon thereafter, Tsamis and Zonder reunited to revive Warlord for the modern age. Since then they’ve dropped three albums of greatly varying quality.2 Bill Tsmamis sadly passed away in 2021, and now Mark Zonder has seen fit to carry on without him for fifth album, Free Spirit Soar. Can Warlord finally live up to the potential they’ve hinted at throughout their strange history?

I’ll say this about Free Spirit Soar – it truly captures the sound and feel of the band’s early output, as does the album art. It makes it almost too easy to imagine that this was the release intended to follow the Deliver Us EP. New vocalist Giles Lavery (Dragonsclaw, ex-White Wizzard) sounds quite similar to original frontman Jack Rucker and the production is so old school sounding it seems improbable it could’ve been recorded after 1985. Opener “Behold a Pale Horse” is a ginormous dose of old school American power with huge NWoBHM influences and it sounds as if it could have appeared on their EP or debut. Think Wytch Hazel meets Jethro Tull meets Atlantean Kodex and you have a sense of what to expect. It’s a great song with a seriously epic vibe, Lavery kills it with a laid-back but vibrant performance, and the keyboard presence provides a rich atmosphere for the guitar lines to play off. “Conquerors” is another ginormous olden metal gem with a classic metal gallop as classy riffs charge forth and 80s-centric keyboards blare away for dated texture. Lavery does a great job here, reminding me of Jiotis Parcharidis (ex-Human Fortress). The guitar work is slick and tasteful, recalling acts like Savage Grace and Heir Apparent, while hints of Keeper of the Seven Keys era Helloween inform the huge chorus. It’s my favorite song this year and I cannot get enough of it.

“Worms of the Earth” is another massive offering for those who buy their glory in bulk from GloryCo. It introduces a darker, more ominous sound with Lavery going for a more gravelly delivery and the music conjures a wonderfully larger-than-life trve metal feel. The same goes for the massive title track with its majestic gallop and Blind Guardian-esque might which get infused with a weird Blue Oyster Cult luster thanks to the 80s keyboard swells. “The Bell Tolls” is another biggum with a sweet blend of anthemic and epic-scale metal and the chorus sticks like Gorilla Glue. Seven-plus minute closer “RevelationXIV” sounds like a heady blend of Iron Maiden, Wytch Hazel, and cheesy-as-fook 70s sci-fi soundtracks, and though it can feel awkward and WAY too preachy, it still works and contains outstanding guitar work. Only “The Rider” feels slightly underbaked, with keyboards that rip the song out of metal entirely into something like 80s goth rock a la Joy Division. I’m madly in love with the production and how 80s it sounds, but at times the keyboards overwhelm the guitars and render them a nullity. This hurts the overall heaviness and drenches everything in cheddar gravy.

I’m highly impressed by the guitar work from the recently recruited Eric Juris (Crystal Viper). He decorates every song with tantalizingly old school metal leads and harmonies that an iron geezer like me just can’t resist. His playing touches on the best of early 80s metal while venturing into rock and folk for inspiration. Giles Lavery does a great job vocally and plays his part in recreating the sounds of a bygone era. He makes smart choices with his vocal placement and patterns, giving the material enough grit while keeping things smooth and classy. Well-traveled keyboard wizard Jimmy Waldo (Alcatrazz, ex-Vinnie Vincent Invasion) brings an ass-ton of 80s sound to the mix, and though he occasionally overdoes it and becomes too prominent, his playing is a huge part of the album’s charm. Mark Zonder provides a sturdy foundation for the castle building and alongside bassist Philip Earl Bynoe (A-Z) brings a rock-solid backline to the crusade.

I wouldn’t have imagined it possible after so many years and the passing of Bill Tsamis, but Warlord finally gives the metal world their magnum opus. Free Spirit Soar is the album we should have gotten in 1984 and though it’s got flaws, there’s a lot to love and the high points are HIGH. Better still, the album grows with every spin, revealing hidden layers to its rich soundscape. I can see this having a limited demographic due to its very dated sound, but classic metal fans will fooking love it. All hail our new Warlord. Long may they reign.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Website: facebook.com/officialwarlord
Releases Worldwide: May 10th, 2024

#2024 #40 #AmericanMetal #AtlanteanKodex #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #May24 #Review #Reviews #SavageGrace #VirginSteele #WytchHazel

Nemedian Chronicles – The Savage Sword Review

By Iceberg

Storytelling is intrinsic to the passage of knowledge from generation to generation. Within our steel-forged corner of the multiverse, a few subgenres tackle storytelling overtly: most often prog but also, as is the case today, power metal. Coming into this review, I was under the impression that the story of Conan the Barbarian was confined to the plot line of an old Arnold movie—I couldn’t have been more mistaken. The Hyborian Age is a sprawling prehistoric world designed by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s, set between the fall of Atlantis and the rise of traditional history. Enter French band Nemedian Chronicles and their 70-minute slab of sword and sorcery, ripped straight from the pages of Howard’s tales. Intrigued by the high fantasy concept—and baited by an Ennio Morricone namedrop—I dove headfirst into their debut album The Savage Sword.

Nemedian Chronicles play a brand of power metal in the vein of Hammerfall and Blind Guardian, with a bit of the barbarian stomp of Manowar and the epic sweep of Atlantean Codex. The band is organized in a classic Maiden twin-axe attack formation, supported by a gorgeously arranged orchestral backdrop. Alexandre Duffau puts on a vocal masterclass, with a reedy low register that transitions into powerful full-throated highs, especially when paired with another vocalist (“Born on a Battlefield,” “The Song of Red Sonja”). The rest of the band rarely misses a step in their performances, and their prowess is on full display in album highlight “Black Lotus/The Curse of Thog,” which takes me back to “Egypt” and “The Death of Balance/Lacrymosa” from Symphony X’s V; one of the highest bars in epic power metal as far as this writer is concerned.

Good performances are only one half of a successful concept album, and luckily for Nemedian Chronicles their strongest asset is their ability to sonically immerse the listener in their world. Opener “Nemedian Chronicles” nails the requisite concept album introduction with thunderous tribal drums and orchestrals bolstering a scene-setting monologue; I’m reminded of the beginning of Aeternam’s Heir of the Rising Sun, but even more cinematic in scope. A treasure horde of music follows, from anthemic choruses (“Born on the Battlefield,” “The Thing in the Crypt,” “The Song of Red Sonja”) to triple-time sea shanties (“Tigress of the Black Coast”) to an abyssal of terror in “Black Lotus/The Curse of Thog.” Credit to bassist Guillaume Lefebvre here with not only his stringed duties, but also writing all the music and lyrics, the latter of which frequently directly describe Conan’s exploits. Fans of the source material will find a lot to love here, and anyone who likes to follow clear stories in their music will experience the same.

For all the accolades I lay upon The Savage Sword, I see areas of improvement for the Frenchmen. The biggest, and perhaps most obvious one, pertains to bloat. Nemedian Chronicles’ issue isn’t so much the quality of material that needs to be jettisoned, but the repetition of it (“Monsterslayer,” “The Song of Red Sonja”). Another issue—and your mileage may vary here—is the setting of the lyrics. Alexandre Duffau is clearly an accomplished vocalist, but the sheer amount of words that need to be delivered often seems to overpower the rest of the music for the benefit of the plot; the 9-minute “Tower of the Elephant” is especially at fault here. There’s also a peculiar tendency for the band to suddenly shift the tempo or meter from verse to chorus, which makes some tracks a bumpier listen than I’d prefer (“Tower of the Elephant,” “Tigress of the Black Coast,” “Stygian Sons of Set”).

These most nit of picks aside, Nemedian Chronicles hit all the right notes for me when it comes to memorable power metal. When the closing tribal drums of “The Road of Kings” bring the album full circle, I’m left much more inspired than drained. Listening to this record led me to research the world Robert E. Howard built, which enriched subsequent spins. This is a mightily strong debut from a skilled outfit, and with some tightening in the lyrical and editing departments, Nemedian Chronicles could easily lay siege to our much-vaunted safety counter. I heartily recommend The Savage Sword for fans of the comics or power metal in general; keep an eye on these guys.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: No Remorse Records | facebook.com

Website: facebook.com
Releases Worldwide: February 23rd, 2024

#2024 #35 #Aeternam #AtlanteanKodex #BlindGuardian #EpicMetal #Feb24 #FrenchMetal #Hammerfall #Manowar #NemedianChronicles #NoRemorseRecords #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SymphonicPowerMetal #SymphonyX #TheSavageSword

Und da legte sich die Nadel auf die Platte. #atlanteankodex