If you like epic metal in the vein of OMEN and ARMORED SAINT look no further. If you like NWOBHM or U.S power metal like RAVEN and RIOT, then look no further once again.
You can tell from their cover on MANILLA ROAD’s legendary “Necropolis” that VISIGOTH respect the values of this genre. Usually, when a band dares to cover a song from one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time, I tend to cringe and then react with incomprehensible swears towards that band. Not in this case though! You can tell that although they still don’t have the artistic value of their aforementioned bands (it’s only natural since this is only their first album), VISIGOTH are an apprentice that honors all their master’s teachings.
Let’s see what they do on their own. “The Revenant King” commences with two very convincing tracks, the s/t and “Dungeon Master” – I suspect a reference to Dungeons And Dragons- which show the way this record will follow; that is lengthy tracks with more than a few twists, very catchy choruses and guitar work with fantasy, either we are talking about the main speedy riffs or the gem of the album which is the solos.
You really can’t go wrong with any solo in “The Revenant King”, they are all meaningful, powerful and always manage to infuse a breath of fresh air in the tracks just when you think “This is quite good, but I wish an extra something would enter the structure right now”. The way they balance melody, power and epicness in songs like “Blood Sacrifice” or “Creature Of Desire” reminded me of late Tony Taylor’s TWISTED TOWER DIRE and I got a bit of a DOOMSWORD/MANOWAR scent during the heavier/slower tracks “Mammoth Rider” and “Iron Brotherhood”.
Also worth mentioning is the performance of the singer, Jake Rodgers. He manages to captivate the listener’s attention in every chorus of the album with classic forms and some innovative turns of the “epic metal voice”.
The grade is not any higher because in general I, personally, have extremely high expectations on this particular genre and I like it a bit more dark and awe-inspiring, plus I think the production should have been a little dirtier and not so clean cut. Yet if you enjoy a more uplifting and U.S power oriented approach on epic metal, give “The Revenant King” a listen and you’ll definitely rejoice!
P.S: What an amazing artwork by Kris Verwimp…
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