Eternal Champion - The Armor of Ire

Artist: Eternal Champion
Release Title: The Armor of Ire
Year: 2016
Label: No Remorse Records
Genre: Epic Heavy Metal
Tracklisting:
1. I Am the Hammer
2. The Armor of Ire
3. The Last King of Pictdom
4. Blood Ice
5. The Cold Sword
6. Invoker
7. Sing a Last Song of Valdese
8. Shade Gate

Formed just in 2012, Texas-based epic heavy metallers Eternal Champion quickly took on the tone and feel of the classic heavy metal sound from the 80s which helps to tie in their connection to Michael Moorcock's high fantasy series of the same name. With the album being the first recorded output of third guitarist Nujon Powers, the group finally prepares its debut full-length September 27, 2016 on No Remorse Records.

There’s not a whole lot about this one as immediately from the start, the band is clearly well-suited for their brand of old-school worshipping of traditionally-minded epic heavy metal. There’s plenty of beefy, sturdy trad-influenced riff-work at play here with the swirling melodic rhythms that gallop along at quite a steady pace here with the album’s preference for the bouncy mid-tempo race. This has the effective quality of leaving it feeling warm and quite luscious which is quite a usual ploy in this genre that manages to effectively evoke the melodic aesthetics from that style as it’s so familiar for the most part that there’s little doubt about its influences being derived wholeheartedly along the way. That leads into the main feature problem about this one as the wholly simplistic manner of the rhythms that it makes for way too close a tie-in to the old-school scene without really giving it an identity of its own. This comes off with way too much of a close-minded feel of the 80s which is so based on this style that there’s not a whole lot of room for this to go, and while it may have quite an effective touch here this does become an issue, though this one has a bit of a free pass being a debut.

Being quite a simplistic and rather one-note style of old-school attack does get this one into trouble at times, but there’s little denying the energy and enthusiasm that’s present in here which does quite a lot to overcome these flaws and makes for quite a worthwhile effort for those that aren’t hung up on these issues who are aficionados of this epic-tinged traditional metal.

Score: 84/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://eternalchampion.bandcamp.com/album/the-armor-of-ire

Dexter Ward - Rendezvous with Death

Artist: Dexter Ward
Release Title: Rendezvous with Death
Year: 2016
Label: No Remorse Records
Genre: Power/Traditional Heavy Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Rendezvous with Destiny
2. Stone Age Warrior
3. These Metal Wings
4. Metal for the Light
5. Fighting for the Cross
6. Knights of Jerusalem
7. We Are Dexter Ward
8. Ballad of the Green Berets

Continuing on from their past success, Greek metallers Dexter Ward haven’t let their rather impressive debut keep them from furthering and honing their craft as they followed it up with a ravenous live-schedule with plenty of shows to keep their edge. Now five long years from their previous album, this second full-length effort is released April 29, 2016 on No Remorse Records.

Much like the bands’ past works, the main focus here is on creating a heavy, epic tone with their arrangements and is quite apparent in this one. Lead by a majestic, sprawling series of rhythms that come about through somewhat plodding tempos that are laced with huge, grand patterns and triumphant melodies intertwined together that leaves this one feeling quite large and powerful. There’s not a whole lot of speed here as the band’s fastest tracks are a steady mid-tempo gallop, yet there’s a more prominent feel here in taking these hard-hitting trad elements and laying on grand power metal melodies over it all which is where this one scores nicely as those are among the best parts of the album. That atmosphere here where this takes that big approach with the galloping paces works this one quite nicely as it’s heavy rhythms and melody-driven riff-work generate the main elements at play here. While that’s the case, the album does have some minor problems here where it’s mostly based around such a bleary pace that the album doesn’t really get much fire or energy out of it’s tracks, leaving them somewhat bland and middling where it’s one long mid-tempo track after another. There’s not a great deal of variety either, as it’s similar tempos and plodding paces can drag this one out quite a bit longer than what is really feels like, and is definitely a case where the band could’ve interjected some faster paces to liven things up, though it’s altogether not that terrible.

Though it has some problems in terms of pacing and generally igniting the kind of fire and emotion typically associated with the genre, there’s enough here in terms of generally enjoyable atmospheric work that this is a solid if not entirely worthwhile choice for fans of the majestic, epic side of trad/power metal only.

Score: 77/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:

https://dexterward.bandcamp.com/album/rendezvous-with-destiny-2

Hitten - State of Shock

Artist: Hitten
Release Title: State of Shock
Year: 2016
Label: No Remorse Records
Genre: Traditional Heavy Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Wrong Side of Heaven
2. Don't Be Late
3. Can't Bring Me Down
4. Victim of the Night
5. Rites of the Priest
6. State of Shock
7. Liar
8. Endless Race
9. Chained to Insanity
10. Eternal Force

Coming together in 2011, Spanish traditional heavy metallers Hitten have wasted little time building a discography that pays tribute and worship to the greats of the genre’s past with their first releases issued within a calendar year of formation. With a solid lineup focusing on delivering classic metal formulas, the group releases their second full-length album March 1, 2016 on No Remorse Records.

Right from the start this one here is so overtly and unashamedly old-school that it’s impossible to tell that love blazes through their music as it simply unleashes a cavalcade of classic heavy metal workouts into their music. Focusing on charging dual speed-metal rhythms that bring about a rather impressive and dynamic energy to the music with the full-throttle charge featured working nicely together with the furious crunchy riff-work. This blend of old-school influences is great at perfecting this atmosphere where it’s able to generate fiery, full-throttle ragers dripping with classic speed metal patterns and a furious crunch to go hand-in-hand with the album’s more epic, restrained mid-tempo attitudes that are quite well measured against these more fiery and frenetic rhythms which produces a compelling balance between the two genres. While it’s one thing to be able to hit that kind of energy and attitude, the fact this is accomplished with the whole production taking on that kind of approach is quite another with this one really driving forward in that kind of attitude and infectious energy that conjures up the tone and atmosphere found in the old-school which is what does knock this one down somewhat as the album is such a hugely influenced throwback that it really doesn’t do much of anything truly original or creative. Instead, it relies far more on it’s engaging spirit and infectious playing to win over the listener, and while that works incredibly consistently the fact that not enough of it is really unique or creative does allow this one to slip slightly even though that infectiousness is what makes it so fun.

This is clearly one of the more impressive and enjoyable groups in this particular style and manages to get so much right here that it’s set of minor flaws are so kept in check that there’s much more to like here as this one is perfectly suited for any fan of the old-school metal sound or the revivalist bands using that style.

Score: 93/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://hittenheavymetal.bandcamp.com/