Like the Italians were for progressive rock, the Greeks can make a sound that is uniquely Greek, without ever needing to resort to regional instrumentation to get said impression across. I have the utmost respect for the Greek black metal scene. The overwhelming opener serves as proof for this thesis. Yet old grumblers like me think that Macabre Omen still have room for optimization. Hence it follows that metal freaks with a penchant for Viking sounds can add ten percentage points. I admit that I have no special feelings for Greece, but I really appreciate that the duo has put its heart and soul in each and every song. However, the two musicians have composed an album that mirrors their clear vision, the building of an acoustic monument for their home country. The full-length is rather five or ten minutes too long. Too bad that their descendants have absolutely no idea about the basics of national economy.Īll in all, "Gods of War - At War" does not deliver musical fast food. And by the way, it goes without saying that the ancient Greeks deserve our respect for their cultural merits. The mastermind of Baltak may disagree in view of his Macedonian roots, but you cannot please everybody.
Sometimes it is a little bit too much of Hellenic glory and heroism, but at the end of the day, these lyrics don't do any harm. Speaking of pressure, the relatively raging "Rhodian Pride, Lindian Might" holds some dramatic moments that do not lack of strength - and this is no coincidence, because strength and pathos are the main pillars of this output. In particular the guitars deliver the necessary amount of pressure. That's okay from my side, because the album has enough edgy elements.
It seems as if the historical Greek heroes deserve a clear, slightly polished sound. This technical implementation does not follow the sometimes dubious "from the underground for the underground" maxim. Production-wise, the transparent sound underlines the ambitions of the formation. However, the album offers a lot of positive aspects as well. Maybe the strong lead singer has just too many options. Generally speaking, the clear vocals, that sometimes occur, fail to strengthen the power of the tracks. Not to mention the lame vocals, the ponderous flow and the spoken words part of "From Son to Father", the downer of the output. Of course, it is a matter of taste, but the folkloric beginning of "Man of 300 Voices" affects the intensity of the album. Admittedly, this is just a small detail that does not hurt the overall impression significantly. "Gods of War", for example, is an actually strong piece, but its slightly lax chorus does not fully convince me. Nevertheless, it is a mammoth task to perform eight songs with a duration of more than an hour without critical moments. Moreover, the variably used vocals express different feelings like insanity, pain and desperation, but also vitality and heroism. This is a bit of a shame, because Macabre Omen have a good grasp of melodies, song patterns and heaviness. The following tracks do not reach the same level of grandeur.
#War of the gods album plus#
This opus magnum promises a 90 plus X% review, but things often turn out differently than expected. I don't see the sea, but I listen to fantastic melodies and I feel a storm of emotions. Their opener "I See, the Sea!" develops a unique identity while combining depth with aggression and hymnal elements with extremely passionate vocals. The patriotic Greeks do not copy the Swedish legend.
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