When Greek trve metal heroes Triumpher drop a new magnus opus, it requires 2 reviews to cope with all the glory. Will Piercing the Heart of the World impale you on the lance of majesty and honor?
Epic Metal
Steel Arctus – Dreamruler Review
“Brothers, you need power metal in your life. No, you do. You need authentic positivity shot straight into your cynic-rotten hearts, now. Most fortunate for you, Greek power metallers Steel Arctus have graced this year of 2025 with their third album Dreamruler, marking the third entry into the chronicles of their titular hero Steel Arctus. 2020’s Fire and Blood detailed the origins of Steel Arctus and his girlfriend the Arcadian Lady, 2022’s Master of War saw him delve into the fires of Hades and now Dreamruler sees him challenge the titular Dreamruler in his evil world of dreams to rescue his bodacious muse.” Steel, love, and wizards.
![Khirki – Κυκεώνας [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Khirki_Κυκεώνας_01.jpg.webp)
Khirki – Κυκεώνας [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]
“In 2021, Greek hard rock trio Khirki single-handedly reignited a fire inside a genre I, for a long time, felt had decomposed six feet under the soil. It just felt like every hard rock act regurgitated the same albums over and over throughout the mid-aughts, with little to no variation or innovation to speak of since. Yet, Κτηνωδία absorbed all of the latent creativity nobody on Earth seemed to exploit and shoehorned every drop into a massive triumph of a debut. Three years later, on comes Κυκεώνας.” Rock in a Greek place.
Dewfall – Landhaskur Review
“Italian black metal quintet Dewfall aren’t what they used to be. According to Metallum, their early work fell under the traditional heavy metal umbrella, placed most closely alongside Iron Maiden. To listen to them from 2018’s Hermeticus onward, you’d be hard put to find that heritage beneath a thick fog of icy tremolos, vicious rasps, and machine-gun double-bass blasting. And yet, that sophomore release is what put them on the map, and on Naturmacht’s well-regarded roster of quality bands. It also attracted my attention, sneaking its way into various playlists and rotations over the last six years. And now, their third installment Landkhaskur looms just over the horizon.” Dew’s clues.
Mythbegotten – Tales from the Unseelie Court Review
“At their most well-behaved, members of the Fey Kingdom are mischievous. A wallet lost here, a child spirited away there, all good fun. But history has ever taught us that the Fey can, and will, be cruel. As per Scottish Folklore, it is there, in the Unseelie Court, where those malicious denizens of the Fey Kingdom dwell, and plot. Thus arrives New York-based newcomers Mythbegotten, here to divulge untold stories of what’s past the forest’s edge by reading from a musty old tome of Tales from the Unseelie Court.” Staten Island Fairies.
Phaëthon – Wielder of the Steel Review
“Maybe I’m alone in this, but I want more sword-swinging trve/epic metal in my life. I want more bands sounding like Cirith Ungol,Brocas Helm, and Manilla Road in circulation. I miss that classic sound and find myself walking among the tombstones of past albums like King of the Dead and Out of the Gates more and more as I approach extreme ancienthood. This made me a fairly easy mark for England’s Phaëthon who aspire to weld Viking-era Bathory onto the framework established by the 80s epic greats and continued by bands like Doomsword.” Steel fatigue.
Nemedian Chronicles – The Savage Sword Review
“Storytelling is intrinsic to the passage of knowledge from generation to generation. Within our steel-forged corner of the multiverse, a few subgenres tackle storytelling overtly: most often prog but also, as is the case today, power metal. Coming into this review, I was under the impression that the story of Conan the Barbarian was confined to the plot line of an old Arnold movie—I couldn’t have been more mistaken. The Hyborian Age is a sprawling prehistoric world designed by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s, set between the fall of Atlantis and the rise of traditional history. Enter French band Nemedian Chronicles and their 70-minute slab of sword and sorcery, ripped straight from the pages of Howard’s tales.” Swords, hordes, and chords.
![Triumpher – Storming the Walls [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Triumpher_StormingTheWalls_01.jpg.webp)
Triumpher – Storming the Walls [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]
“As a sponge, I am not usually picky about what music I absorb. I often find my way to liking anything if it clicks the right boxes. For some reason, though, I’m pickiest about traditional heavy metal, both classic and modern. I rarely like anything that falls under the stock “heavy” umbrella, instead preferring things that are hybridized with other, more extreme fare. Luckily for me, Triumpher are here to help raise my sword to full might with their immense, astoundingly compelling debut Storming the Walls, released in March of this year.” Triumph of the swordcore.
Crom – The Era of Darkness Review
“CROM! I have not heard from you these many long years. I was completely blown away by 2008s Vengeance with its slick blend of epic Bathory-isms and power metal leanings, and I pledged my sword to your service. I was, however, somewhat disillusioned by 2011s Of Love and Death and its dialed-down might and majesty. I confess to being a lowly heretic and completely missing the gospel of the 2017 followup, and I need to make amends for my unholy ignorance. Now we come to the rather unexpected release of the fourth testament to all things Wotan, warrior-esque and wengeancy, The Era of Darkness.” Feel the steel.
Daidalos – The Expedition Review
“The Expedition is a concept album that tells the story of the doomed 1845 voyage of Captain John Franklin and his crew of 129 men and their frost-filled journey through undiscovered portions of the northwest passage. Grizzled sea captains? Ice pirates? Adventure? Excitement? A Jedi may not crave such things, but I sure do. Daidalos have certainly plucked a worthy story from the annals of history on which to base their album. And as is their right, the band has chosen the soothing sounds of symphonic, epic black metal to tale this tale.” Voyage of the damned.
