one last warrior's prayer
then let my blade never dull
and let me fight... for eternity…"
One Word Review: Victorious
I have been an avid follower of the Italian band Doomsword ever since I listened to their second album, Resound The Horn, and was captured by their slow moving and incredibly epic Heavy Metal. Since then the band has evolved and sped up their music, while keeping their essence intact. The doom part is still evident through grinding, drawn out guitar riffs, a certain patience which inhabits the music, frequent tempo shifts and a fist-clenching essence of brutality that slowly washes over the listener. So yeah, I was delighted to discover that they had released a new album in 2011. I was only about a year late.
There is a primal essence in the music Doomsword create. It is something very special. Something that draws me to their music and makes me feel something awaken deep within. It is a sudden urge to grow a beard, roar loudly, clench my fist, drink a lot of beer and roast a deer over an open fire, all the while singing these hymns. With me being a pretty down to earth guy, that is a huge compliment. This urge comes when they hit just the right atmosphere and tone in their music. Those moments are eternal. I’ll try to shine a light on what I mean as I go through the album below.
For this album, the band is made up of Deathmaster on vocals, Sacred Heart on guitars, Wrathlord on bass and Geilt on drums. With names like these, it is clear that you have to accept the band on their own terms and enter with an open mind in order to get the most from the music.
Deathmaster has a unique voice and a flair for delivering strong vocal melodies which suit the music perfectly. After some time his voice becomes as one with the music but for the uninitiated it may take a while for his voice to get under the skin.
With their music, Doomsword paint pictures of not only battles filled with death and blood but also brush upon personal themes of honor, strength of heart, belief and pride. Based on Norse Mythology and Medieval times, the lyrics go hand in hand with the music. Fortunately the lyrics manage to reach beyond the obvious and often describe interesting scenes or points of view from an individual with surprising depth and thus gain extra layers and a personal touch.
Doomsword's ability to play Heavy Metal with an atmosphere of calmness is a contradiction that works in favor of the band and make them unique and decidedly epic in every way. They have evolved and matured greatly since their first albums.
Varusschlacht opens the album with a certain calm fierceness. It may sound weird, but that is the impression I get. The primal element in the music clearly comes to light here and with a few listens, what at first glimpse may seem a quite simple musical endeavor ends up being filled with depth and detail as the core of Doomsword's music shows itself. There is great detail in both the guitar work and drums, exemplified by the entry to the verse right after the first chorus where these two instruments add a special sense of ferocity.
Varusschlacht segues brilliantly into Eternal Battle with a battle cry and a superb guitar riff driving the song forward. The held back power I talked about is most evident here with slow moving guitar riffs, patient drumming and deeply emotional vocals. All combined they deliver a profound atmosphere, a feeling of fist clenching power and the impression that the band captures exactly the emotion that they have set out to embody. I am convinced and can't help but sing along in my deepest voice. Epic is the only description I can give.
Wrath of The Gods opens with a very powerful first verse where the lyrics are delivered with complete conviction. This hymn to individuality is both captivating and inspiring. The instrumental interplay between drums and bass gives the song an extra dimension.
Soldier of Fortune has a great build-up to a chorus that sort of sneaks up on you. This is another example of the calmness the music often exhibits and how the patience of the listener is rewarded greatly. Battle At The End of Time is at the other end of the spectrum with a massively powerful chorus which forces the message home with crushing effect.
The Fulminant showcases another trait of the band, the tempo shifts from pounding metallic fury to calm atmospheric passages. Another notable trait is the melodic element, which often comes into focus, as showcased in the chorus of The Sword of Doom in the most epic and satisfying way. A special note goes to the intense drumming near the end of the song.
A beautiful acoustic guitar passage leads to Warlife, which claims an epic ending to the album with a natural touch. Memorable and powerful in the Doomsword way.
I am not able to clearly say what it is about Doomsword that draws me in. I have tried to describe it as a combination of several elements. It is a kind of recognition telling me that here is something special, something that can be devoured time and time again and has the strength to last through many years. It is that feeling I get when I meet some form of entertainment embodied with soul.
Possibly the best Doomsword album yet, The Eternal Battle proves resilient in its quest to bow down to no one and delivers an absolutely epic experience. The Eternal Battle is an album that soars… Way up high.
Written By Steen
Online: Thursday, March 21, 2013
Video Section
Varusschlacht