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?
No Remorse Records
Leatherhead – Violent Horror Stories Review
“Steel is a sucker for a band trying their absolute best to bring back the bountiful glory of the 80s metal sound. Enter Greek retro fiends Leatherhead and their second full-length crusade, Violent Horror Stories. I happened to stumble upon their lead single “V.H.S” while scrolling on YouTube and mistook them for yet another thrash revival group, but I was mistaken. Though this is often speedy, high-energy stuff, it plays out more like a loving nod to the salad days of US power metal than any kind of beer and BO thrash-fest.” No sleep til leather.
![Dolmen Gate – Echoes of Ancient Tales [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/dolmen-gate-2-echoes-of-ancient-tales-squarecrop.png.webp)
Dolmen Gate – Echoes of Ancient Tales [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]
“You can never have too many swords. This has always been the truth, and Portugal’s Ravensire was well aware of it, following in the triumphant heavy metal footsteps of fellow countrymen Ironsword for three albums. Even when fate would strike down Ravensire in 2020, drummer Alex and guitarist Nuno remained undeterred. They formed a new lineup under the Dolmen Gate banner and got to work immediately.” Sword hoarders.
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.
Feanor – Hellhammer Review
“Within the sprawling cosmos of heavy metal, there are those who shy away from “cheese.” The self-serious arbiters of credibility who cannot fathom the spectacle of a Jørnlike figure, clad in frills, golden mane cascading, arms outstretched as soliloquies of passion pour forth in gloriously ESL-stained accents. Yet for those of us who have dared sail the seas of cheese, who have cast aside the brittle armor of irony, such bombast is not an embarrassment but a revelation, a childlike ecstasy born from grown men shrieking about dragons or Tolkien over galloping power chords as though their lives depended on it. It is precisely for this rapturous abandon, this embrace of the sublime absurd, that we turn to a band like Feanor.” Cheese is the new kale.
Professor Emeritus – A Land Long Gone Review
“There are some pretty disastrous band names out there, and Professor Emeritus is up near the tippy-top. Why anyone would name themselves after a retired college instructor is beyond me, but their 2017 Take Me to the Gallows debut was an entertaining dose of epic/trve/doom metal with enough muscle and magic to win me over despite some rough spots and vocal missteps. Nearly eight years later, we get the follow-up, A Land Long Gone, and the lineup has undergone a massive overhaul, with only guitarist Lee Smith (ex-Satan’s Hallow) remaining. In comes vocalist Esteban Julian Pena of Acerus, along with several former members of Black Sites, and the result is an entirely different beast.” The Professor is in.
Serpent Rider – The Ichor Of Chimaera Review
“Steel never gets his fill of old-timey, sword-swinging trve metal. It’s one of the few genres that pulls me away from the rot pit these days, and a break from the reek of putrefaction is always nice. Enter The Ichor Of Chimaera, the debut from Los Angeles-based trvesters Serpent Rider, featuring Brandon Corsair of Houkago Grind Time and Draghkar.” Snake charm, sword disarm.
Triumpher – Spirit Invictus Review
“Everything changed when the water nation attacked. On the night of September 27th, spongekind existed peacefully in their humble home. The morning of September 28th, rampant destruction. While the flooding left my home fatally enmoistened, I persist. I now rise up in my ultimate glory, undefeated by a storm powerful enough to destroy my city. What better way to announce my return to the AMG Hall than with Greek epic metal quintet Triumpher’s much-awaited sophomore record, Spirit Invictus?” Rising above the storm.
Amethyst – Throw Down the Gauntlet Review
“Following hot on the heels of the one-man NWoBHM avalanche led by Brian Ross of Satan and Blitzkrieg, Swiss retro rockers Amethyst throw their chrome dueling glove into the arena with their rollicking, rocking debut Throw Down the Gauntlet. With tongue-in-cheek cover art and a logo ripped straight from 1979, these chaps mean serious throwback business and aim their sound at a time when metal was just beginning to coalesce into something distinct from hard rock and punk.” Smell the glove.
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.
