FRENZY FIRE

    

METAL & ROCK REVIEWS

    
             
HOME            
REVIEWS            
ARTISTS            
UPCOMING            
LINKS            
             

 

      
   
   
       
       

Empire Of Sins

    
       
       
       
     
             
Silent Winter are a power metal band from Greece, forming in 1995, releasing two demo's - 'Silent Winter' (1995) and 'War Of An Angel' (1995) - before disbanding in 2001. Reforming in 2018, four new members joined founding member Kiriakos Belanos, and later the same year, the band released their debut E.P. 'The War Is Here'. The bands first full length album 'The Circles Of Hell' emerged in 2019, with their sophomore album 'Empire Of Sins' a 2021 release.    
             
And what a release it is! Phenomenal pace and an intensity that'll take your breath away, 'Empire Of Sins' is a cracking album, and will battle kings of speed metal DragonForce, American speedsters Cellador, and Japanese speed metallers Significant Point, for who holds the torch at the head of the power/speed metal frontier. The album explodes into life with the lightning quick 'Gates Of Fire' - all fire and brimstone, ginormous fireworks exploding left, right, and fucking centre. Exhilarating doesn't do 'Gates Of Fire' any justice - sensational and stunning are much better... With your opening song setting such high standards, expectation is right off the scale, with fingers crossed the rest of the album will be just as good...or better! So just how do you follow such a belter of an opening? With another belter that's what! 'Wings Of Destiny' is heavier and toes the heavy/power metal line perfectly. Think power metal legends Rage, and you'll have some idea of the Silent Winter sound.    
             
The whole album is in fact a belter - every single song infectious and intoxicating. The power and pace absolutely incredible. Changing down a gear and marching on with melodic mastery, 'Shout' is a slab of high energy power metal, with a guitar sound that salutes the iconic NWOBHM. And after just three songs, Silent Winter have signalled their intent to claim the Album Of The Year title - and I for one have no doubt they will be up there come the end of the year. And the belters keep coming, this time it's the blistering hymn-like and anthemc 'Mirror' - well, for the beginning anyway! Moving into very heavy territory, 'Mirror' becomes a thundering and hard hitting barrage of pure power metal. The breath taking pace at which this album began is not waning, just varying the heaviness along the way.    
             
And for me, one of the best songs I've heard all year, and believe I've heard thousands - is the albums show stopping centrepiece 'Hunter's Oath'. It's big, bold, bombastic, and from the fifty seven second mark, has a gorgeous riff that I wanna take out on a date, kiss and cuddle, and make sweet sweet love to. Yes, it's that fucking good. I'm practically wetting myself with excitement - can someone please pass me a clean pair of trousers!! Not only is 'Hunter's Oath' the albums standout song, it's overly infectious, and has a sing a long chorus that is just brilliant. Phew, I just need a moment to regain my composure...    
             
...okay, on we go. A lovely keyboard intro breathes life into 'Where The River Flows' and we find ourselves very close to power ballad territory - close, but just half a step away. Yes, you can still raise lighters high in the air and sway from side to side, but just use this mellower moment to relax and catch your breath after the 'Hunter's Oath' high. For you'll need all your breath for the albums closing double. 'Dragons Dance' storms in and gallops on at high velocity - resuming the scorching pace of earlier. 'Dragons Dance' has purpose and intent, and forages a savage path across the land, battering anyone and anything standing in its way. And to the final song, the title song, 'Empire Of Sins'. At seven and a half minutes, 'Empire Of Sins' is by far and away the longest song on the album, and is an grandiose journey of epic power metal. From the slow build intro, to the mid tempo melodic march, to the huge amounts of energy, 'Empire Of Sins' is a show stopping finale. I don't normally recommend albums, simply because everyone's taste is so different, but I will recommend this one to fans of the legends that are Helloween, Iron Savior, and Rage.    
             
Overall, a superb album of heavy/power metal to take your breath away - 'Empire Of Sins' is exhilarating and infectious.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Utopia      
           
"" Read Review Here When Published...Coming Soon      
     
     
     
           
             
             
Top