After receiving a good response with their debut album “Ferrum Fero Ferro Feror” which was released earlier this year, now this French symphonic power metal band will release an EP album titled “Chronicles”, this EP will consist of several series, for the first series titled “The Cursed Lord” which is scheduled to be released on June 21. This EP consists of 4 songs with the addition of a bonus track which is a Metal Opera version.
It opens with the song “The Cursed Lord”, a song with a rhythm guitar that reminds me of the song “Pumpkins United” by HELLOWEEN. This song is a powerful song, a symphonic sound with strong classical music influences and a grander orchestra compared to their debut album “Ferrum Fero Ferro Feror”. Axel de Montalembert‘s voices range is also wider and more powerful. The fast and tight drums beat also colors this song. In the solo part of this song, we find catchy melodies accompanied by heavy metal rhythms and the choir accompanies behind and continues with fast thumping drums and alternating growl vocals with high pitch vocals adding to the variety and dynamics of this song. The song also includes music by Modeste Moussorgski.
“The Black Dungeon”, catchy, melodic orchestral kicks off this second track and features Axel’s signature vocals and includes a faint female soundtrack. Light guitar rhythms and catchy and light song choruses with a song tempo that isn’t too fast will make it very easy for us to sing along and make this song easily keep ringing in our heads.
“Surrounded by Darkness” the sound of the organ and the typical church choir continues with the mid-tempo sound of drums making the beginning of this song quite calm. However, the tempo rose as the chorus and orchestra sounded, accompanied by the fast tempo of the drums. The orchestra and chorus in this song feel very majestic and dashing with a dynamic tempo throughout the song by including female vocals, none other than the bass player Noémie Allet and several vocal characters in several parts adding harmony and dynamics to the song, the tempo of the song is not monotonous make this song very not boring.
“The Tears of Rowena” is a ballad song dominated by Noémie Allet‘s voices, a song that feels very operatic and theatrical wrapped in a serene symphonic metal music but I’m even more amazed when I enter the middle of the song to the end of the song, I don’t know how they created such a genius song this, but for me this is symphonic metal music that is really genius, fresh and with a strong character. A song that really feels theatrical music nuances is able to anesthetize us to get carried away in the story of this song. Maybe fans of the German power metal band will remember BLIND GUARDIAN’s Twilight Orchestra “Legacy Of The Dark Lands”album.
Overall, the EP album “The Cursed Lord” is a blend of symphonic power metal music with orchestral and theatrical operas to wrap an epic storyline that will make us get carried away in the nuances and emotions in the story it brings. The quality of this album is better than their previous work, with more mature creation and better production making this album feel more classy and elegant, and getting the band closer to the ranks of high-class bands such as RHAPSODY, POWERWOLF, NIGHTWISH or CRADLE OF FILTH.
Line up:
Axel de Montalembert – Vocals
Adrien Djouadou – Giutars, Vocals, Orchestrations
Adrien Guingal – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Noémie Allet – Bass, Vocals
Guillaume Remih – Drums
Tracklist :
01. The Cursed Lord (06:40) – includes music by Modeste Moussorgski
02. The Black Dungeon (05:08)
03. Surrounded by Darkness (06:37) – including “Dies Irae” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
04. The Tears of Rowena (06:04) – inspired and partially quoted by Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi
05. The Tears of Rowena (Metal Opera Version) – Bonus Track (06:04)
Score:
Music: 9
Production: 9
Website: https://phoebustheknight.fr/
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