The first time I heard Ghosts of Atlantis was when I started listening to this album, and the first time I read about them was a couple of days earlier in an article about their recording with a local choir for this album. Formed 4 years ago in Suffolk, they released their debut in 2021 and are following it up with this album. As a whole, the album flows beautifully from one song to the next as it tells its many stories.

Opening with “March Of The Titans”, the classical instruments build quickly to make way for the heavier guitars and drumming, while keeping the trumpets blaring in the background before Phil Primmer’s harsh roar cuts a swathe across the choral accompaniment before Dex Jezierski and Colin Parks’ guitars get faster and heavier to keep pace with Rob Garner’s drums, before it all slows allowing Colin’s clean vocals a brief stint in the limelight as the lead solo vies for attention.

The choir on “Lands Of Snow” definitely earn their mead as the syncopathic tempo winds its way along the bleak white paths with Phil and Colin both singing alongside the choir culminating in an operatic crescendo.

Stepping up the black metal energy, “Empires Burn At Dawn” has quick drum rolls, raspy vocals and cutting riffs over orchestral music that fills the soundscape behind the layers of voices.

“The Lycaon King” tackles lycanthropy on a grand scale, with the musical grandeur to match. and I’ll be the first to admit that I really enjoyed the comic art music video made for the song.

Far more symphonic in its approach, “The Alkonost” has hypnotic clean vocals that draw you in just before the guttural roars push you away, in much the same way the manic drumming counterpoints the heavy and then melodic guitars, as it all fades to near acoustic.

The choppy rhythm kicking off “Sacremental”, after the acapella intro, continues throughout the song letting Al Todd follow it on his bass to accentuate the kick drums.

The speed of the kick drum is at opposition to the feel of the languid guitar melody on “A Maiden’s Scorn”, as everything builds to crescendo before coming to crash down over the haunting vocals.

The pianoforte is overpowered by the guitars as “Behind The Wall” breaks into stride, but it’s the way the clean and harsh vocals interplay over the music that make the song incredibly beautiful, the majestic lead solo doesn’t hurt either.

The album ends with the title track “Riddles Of The Sycophants”, as the pace ebbs and flows to emphasise both the harsh and melodious nature of the music. The clean vocals over piano and violin are excellent, as is their transition into a growl over blasting drums and guitar triplets.

A really easy album to put on and listen to, as it’s exquisitely melodic but with sufficient heaviness for any death metal fan.

(8/10 Marco Gaminara)

https://www.facebook.com/GhostsOfAtlantisofficial

https://hammerheart.bandcamp.com/album/riddles-of-the-sycophants