Protean Shield are a 5 piece hailing from Athens and are one of many metal bands hailing from a country known for its knack for churning out impressive bands across all walks of metal. With their self titled debut album, Protean Shield join a growing list of epic heavy metal inspired acts from the southern reaches of Europe, and if past experience with Greek metal bands is anything to go by, this should be something good to listen to, so settle in for some grand tales, epic adventures and traditional metal madness!
Opening things up is the titular track of the album and bands namesake song to boot. If making a statement was the goal then Protean Shield have certainly succeeded with this. The guitar riffs are tightly coiled giving them a sharp edge and this helps drive the thundering chug on. Shifts between surging and gallop help set the scene and the solid rhythm section keeps it all locked down. The big bass presence adds some much needed depth to the sound and the vocal work is extremely expressive and gripping with how they are delivered. Loaded with harmonised melodies and twisting solos, it’s a classic slice of epic themed heavy metal!
“47 rōnin” is based on the Japanese Genroku era tale of the ‘Akō jiken’, a true story depicting the events surrounding 47 masterless samurai brought down a corrupt official after their master was forced to commit seppuku. It is a well known and romanticised event in Japanese history and it naturally lends itself as inspiration for many creative works, this song included. The epic heavy metal approach works well, allowing the vocals to lead us through the story which is backed up by a solid display of Euro-Metal full of twisting melodies and killer hooks. “Stormbringer” follows up in a similar musical vein but this time seeming to channel some elements of American styled power metal akin to Iced Earth, rounding out the sound a little more. The bass work in this track is phenomenal and you can hear it duelling with the guitars to catch your attention.
“Lament” is a short string instrument piece of music which acts as a transition into the following track “Mariner’s Dream”, an 8 minute epic which is one of the two major highlights of this album in terms of musical delivery and composition. Captivating storytelling from the vocals, solid guitar chops and a virtuosic performance from the bass create a phenomenal setting to tell the tale of adventure on the high seas. Moving into the second half of the album, “The Pendulum” swings in with its subtle folk influences, bringing a slower pace and more emphasis on melody and rhythm. It’s a welcome change and a refreshing take on the traditional heavy metal approach but compared to the previous tracks it isn’t as strong.
“Sin and Dream” is a more technical endeavour in terms of the delivery. Diverging from the typical nimble riffs and soaring solos or wailing shreds, the band opt for a more precise and clinical approach almost mirroring some progressive metal elements. Tight and compact, it is intricate in its delivery and a welcome surprise to see that the band have something of this level up their sleeve! “Steel of Ages” is a generic power metal track which we have all heard before. Steady paced and powerful, it is an all round decent effort musically but in terms of appeal, it is rather bland as it is so similar to countless other songs of this nature.
Closing the album we have “Dancers at the end of time” which clocks in at nearly 9 minutes in length. Tapping into the epic heavy metal spirit once again it initially starts off with a thunderous roll of double kick and powerful riffs and piercing leads but as the verse kicks in, everything changes. Warm vocals which express so much, haunting clean arpeggios and a rich bass show a side of the band we haven’t heard before. This shifts into a more cutting edge as the distortion comes in, building up with clever keyboard augmentation and a harder approach before it explodes to life with a powerful metal edge. The shifts in tempo between blazing and swaying help keep the momentum of the track going and the payoff when each harder and faster section kicks in is massive. The leads sound epic, the riffs sound powerful and the cleans have so much to offer. Haunting piano lines and acoustic arpeggios with pained vocals give way to twisting dual guitar melodies and soaring bass runs and the ending of the track is spot on. Beginning round the 6:40 mark with a guitar solo, it shifts into a sweet dual guitar harmony section loaded with killer hook-laden melodies before a final chorus adds some grandeur and powerful vocals before a subtle key change allows the track to end on a high.
In all, this is yet another fantastic slice of heavy metal from Greece, a country which produces so much passionate metal music across many genres. Blending the best of European styled heavy metal and American styled heavy metal, Protean Shield have created a good blend of melody, power and intrigue. The musicianship is superb, the vocal work is tremendous and the storytelling is great. For those who want heroic tales and epic fantasy, look no further than this blistering debut effort!
(9/10 Fraggle)
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