Aside from the cover art – yes, they did go there – the second thing that strikes me about Eternal Champion’s second platter is the confident stride we kick off with from get go. Not so much the lone warrior striding from the mists of Cimmeria that we got from the opening bars of The Armor of Ire, but now more the seasoned barbarian king galloping towards destiny with sword held high and ten thousand fur-skinned cavalry at his back carrying weapons as unfeasibly large as the evil sorceress’s bared chest (at least until evil is defeated, the spell wears off and she turns into your granny in 5 seconds flat). The mood this time not so much dour and saturnine as, well, almost light-hearted – high on the heady brew of many victories and enemies ground into the dust.
There’s no doubt that Armor of Ire was one such victory for the band who has cast itself wholeheartedly into the Keep-It-True ethic of heavy metal’s heart. Like the flame bearers of this long overlooked but now fully rebirthed genre, Manilla Road, this is no singalong power metal sop. Eternal Champion is an atmospheric beast for anyone who wants to submerse themselves in the swords and sorcery of a past best imagined by Robert E Howard and 1980s film directors that came up with such gems as Conan, Beastmaster and Krull. Oh how simple life must have been when you knew exactly what evil looked like – most of the time anyway – even if it was sometimes confusing in more ways than one when the scantily evil enchantress was actually an old crone in disguise.
Yes, Ravening Iron is the glorious return of Eternal Champion with its combination of Manilla Road, Cimmerian mists and magic, and Into Glory Ride aesthetics (the cover art is by Ken Kelly, he of Kiss ‘Destroyer’, Rainbow ‘Rising’ and Manowar ‘Kings of Metal’ fame) which leaves the music echoing forth somewhere from the mists of time between monolithic 70s prog metal, a bit of early 80s NWOBHM and pure 80s power metal of the US variety. I probably don’t need to tell you this if you’re reading this review because you’ve probably already had plenty of time to tuck into the previous album and spend many years (perhaps even decades) scouring the planet for the perfect heavy metal album in this genre. But the likes of Pagan Altar and Brocas Helm are worth looking into if you haven’t already while the modern day vanguard is endless and includes the likes of Khemmis, Visigoth, Sumerlands, Magic Circle (and their criminally under exploited outfit Stone Dagger with only one four track demo), Altar of Oblivion and many many more. Ravening Iron is every bit as epic as the previous album and more. Bigger, more varied, more atmospheric, with tracks that span the horizon and others that hit like a cavalry charge.
The title track is a giant of a track – a riff that almost bounces along, but that should still immediately hook in fans of Armor of Ire, a chorus enough to inspire even the most deadened heart, lead guitar breakdowns and a rousing finale. What more do you want? Luckily there is – more, that is. The thundering War at the Edge Of The End and Coward’s Keep; the mighty racing Worms of the Earth, which serve as a salute to the Manilla Road (and the passing of Mark Wayne Shelton two years ago – this week would have been his 63rd birthday); and the moody, simmering Banners of Arhai. As before, the inexorable vocals of Jason Tarpey provide the centre of gravity to the album but it feels like there is an extra level of showmanship this time round. As if Eternal Champion want to keep it true but have some fun at the same time. It’s partly the keen production, which dazzles and brings so much out of the album that you suspect might not have otherwise been so evident (how often does production these days extinguish the life out of an album?). But those hypnotizing leads and spacious atmospheric arrangements help bring the pounding percussion, evocative lyrics and razor sharp riffs to life – and all while you’re still very much getting Eternal Champion. This feels like a step up from Sword of Ire with the band growing in various directions while remaining very much in the confines of their chosen habitat.
Maybe this is the epic heavy metal’s genres gasping zenith or a sign that it’s very much alive. Either way, this is a fantastic way to see the year out for fans of the wider genre, who will want to get their hands on Ravening Iron – even if they may have to sneak the album past your mum/ girlfriend/ boyfriend/ wife/ kids in a brown paper bag when you arrive home. Or maybe just hang it in it pride of place in your hall… Epic power fantasy swords ‘n’ sorcery metal forever!
(9/10 Reverend Darkstanley)
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