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Tears Of The Gorgon

    
       
       
       
     
             
March To Die are a heavy metal band based in Cyprus featuring members from bands such as Mirror, Friends Of Hell, and Solitary Sabred. The band identify themselves as "epic heavy metal", yet for me they're just a heavy metal band with elements of black, death, and thrash metal intricately woven into their base metal framework. The bands debut album 'Tears Of The Gorgon' was released in 2023.    
             
The line-up features singer and guitarist Alex Danazoglou, guitarist Nikolas Sprits Moutafis (Mirror, Solitary Sabred), bassist Tas Danazoglou (Friends Of Hell, Mirror, Satan's Wrath), and drummer Hugo Olivos (Mirror, Forbidden Rites), with the new album forty eight minutes long featuring nine songs...    
             
...'The Eternal Oath' setting an atmospheric and highly sinister atmosphere as it strides in, getting heavier and meaner as it continues to build a frightening tension! And then the menacing vocals begin, the band sending shivers down the spine of every single listener - 'The Eternal Oath' a scary opener that sets the precedent for what's to come. 'One Eyed King' is a mid tempo march of terror, bristling with the combined energy of black and death metal, March To Die widening the bands metal horizons to new widths, attracting fans from a multitude of genres. Easily five maybe six, but in these modern times we live with so many sub genre after sub genre, it could easily exceed ten! Bringing an anthemic feel to the fore, 'Hail To Thee' stomps in, shuddering the ground with immense force, planting its foot firmly on the monitor, sending a traditional heavy metal flavour high into the air. I'm telling ya readers, it's gonna be mission impossible to pigeon hole March To Die into just the one genre of music.    
             
So I ain't even gonna try - the bands menacing nature taking front and centre courtesy of 'Son Of The Old Gods', a mighty mid tempo swagger emanating from 'Tears Of The Gorgon'. And methinks this album will appeal more to fans of black and death metal rather than traditional heavy metal, but as I say, the band have so many influences, there's gonna be something here for every metal fan - maybe even extreme metal fans! 'Helmet Smasher' is a bolder, more dynamic song than anything heard so far, featuring a mellow beginning followed by an abrasive hustle and bustle feel, the band crossing over to thrash metal territory to incorporate the genres aggression fuelled nature. The bands self titled song 'March To Die' is an old school metaller, emanating a massive NWOBHM aura, adopting the iconic foot on the monitor pose, the vocals gruffer, rougher and tougher than any of the pioneering metal bands of the eighties. Maybe with the exception of Grave Digger and the bands legendary singer Chris Boltendahl (Hellryder, Steelhammer).    
             
And with its tense and highly dramatic intro, 'Stand And Be Counted' embodies everything the band represent in regards to the "epic metal" tag - March To Die displaying an incredibly bombastic thunderstomp. A thunderstomp that's as unrelenting as a massive avalanche, every skier and snow boarder doing their utmost to avoid an overwhelming barrage of ferocity! Yet there's no avoiding the bands barrage - unless you press the stop button - March To Die delivering a metal assault you just can't stop listening to! It's like you've been hypnotised by the band, unable to press that stop button or even turn down the volume - 'Decapitation' entering the fray with all the aggression and angst of thrash, death, and black metal. These three styles of music, plus traditional heavy metal, make up the bands sound - a sound that's as intriguing as it is engaging. Bringing the album to a close is the longest song on offer, the title song 'Tears Of The Gorgon' stretching to seven and a half minutes in length! And everything the band have in their locker is on show here - from mellow to menacing, thrash to death and death to black, 'Tears Of The Gorgon' (the song) is a lumbering, slow paced doom metaller to keep shivers darting down the spine of every listener, fan and follower.    
             
Overall, a menacing march of metal featuring a myriad of styles, March To Die deliver an enigmatic and wide ranging array of songs.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
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