This album is the fourth in five years for bassist Jeanine Grob, guitarist Romana Kalkuh and drummer Lala Frischknecht, while second for vocalist Laura Guldemond, as they debut new guitarist Larissa Ernst, following on less than a year since the release of their last album citing being incarcerated like the rest of the world with nothing to do.
Opening with the rather atmospheric and windswept “Winter’s Wrath”, the ultra-sweet vocal melody fades out to the heavier guitars of “The Witch Of The North”, where they rush along being chased by the driving double kick giving the vocals a reason to sound a little anguished and harried when required, but still full of depth and a touch of anger as is to be expected. I really enjoyed the video that accompanies the title track too.
With a rowdy yell, “Tainted Ritual” begins, but the vocals are more tempered on the verses with an excellent choral harmony on the choruses, all the while the guitars play an accompanying melody littered with lead breaks.
Slightly slower and more funereal at first, “We Stand As One” builds to have a far more jovial and airier guitar sound over the pounding tempo while the vocals have an excellent sing-along and rousing feel to their delivery.
While certainly not Wagner, “Flight Of The Valkyries” begins with a languid lead solo that flows into the soaring vocal melody over the ballad-like guitars, before heading into a scream as the guitars and drums begin their gallop.
Feeling very Judas Priest during the more rapid sections of “The Circle Of Five”, which could either be owing to the lead trade-offs or the steel edge to the rougher vocals before using a more melodic touch on the choruses.
The beautiful ballad “Lady Of The Woods” is so 80’s I feel like a teen again, and the operatic male vocal is a nice touch to give it the extra gravitas where the gently flowing riffs slide into majestic leads.
“Thrall” feels even faster after that brief reprieve, and the bass easily keeps pace with the stomping footwork as the guitars slip from heavy riffs into high bends and breaks.
“Omen” is a very brief song that is effectively an intro to “Nine Worlds”, where Lala’s intense kick drumming rumbles below the higher pitched guitars and vocals as leads soar off in every direction after each verse, but it’s that driving rumble that holds it all together.
The chunky guitar riff on “For Eternity” reminds me a little of Accept, with the steady tempo helping a little too, but Udo could only have wished he’d hit those high notes without any hint of strain.
Upping the pace to near thrash speeds, with slightly mellower choruses “Dragon’s Dream” has some pretty epic lead breaks played frantically to get all the required notes in.
The beautifully ethereal “Eternal Frost” is a gentle instrumental, which would be the perfect way to end the album. However I’m fortunate enough for there to be a bonus track that follows it in the form of Savatage’s “Hall Of The Mountain King”, which very easily gives the original a run for its money as Laura is able to produce both the depth and heights required of her vocal range.
(8/10 Marco Gaminara)
Leave a Reply