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The Mad King
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The Mad King |
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| Warrior Path are a heavy/power metal band from Greece formed by guitarist and composer Andreas Sinanoglou. The bands self titled debut album was released in 2019 and featured Firewind guitarist and keyboard player Bob Katsionis, Beast In Black singer Yannis Papadopoulos, and drummer Dave Rundle, and was a fantastic display of power metal. The bands sophomore album 'The Mad King' was released in 2021, and again features Sinanoglou, Katsionis and Rundle - the band now fronted by acclaimed Swedish power metal singer Daniel Heiman (Lost Horizon). | ||||||
| The sophomore album of Warrior Path sees the band move from the blistering power metal come power ballad laden debut to a darker, more epic and elegant style of power metal. For ten songs and fifty two minutes, the band offer anticipation and tension filled metal of emphatic proportions - none more so than the atmospheric and crescendo building intro 'It Has Begun'. Three minutes of intense anticipation abound as 'It Has Begun' builds and builds to its climax, for the album to begin proper with the blazing title song 'The Mad King'. Pace, and the classic sound of European power metal, grace the ears as the band gallop through the albums opening salvo. Taking on the role of the majestic anthemic style of metal, 'His Wrath Will Fall' is a heavy foot stomper, at least for the first minute! And then we're off... The energy and oomph of power metal in full flight is a glorious sight, err, I mean sound. | ||||||
| With an increase in pace, 'Beast Of Hate' powers into sight and gallops on furiously - the band proving their prowess at galloping metal as well as the majestic march of the albums opening two songs. The catchiness of 'Beast Of Hate' is top drawer, with the head bangers of the world moving their heads back and forth very vigorously. The first of two seven minute plus songs, 'Don't Fear The Unknown' opens with an elegant intro, before morphing into a bold and majestic beast of an anthemic march. That is until the two and a half minute mark, when we're knocked for six by the energetic thrust of power metal. The glorious mix of power metal styles as found in every corner of the genre, is a glorious mix, and makes 'Don't Fear The Unknown' a major highlight on the album. 'Savage Tribe' swaggers in and is an epic stomp, full of thunder and heavy hitting rhythms. Think anthemic metal with short bursts of speed, and you'll get some idea of how 'Savage Tribe' sounds. | ||||||
| Slowing the pace right down, becoming mellow, and threatening to enter ballad territory, 'Avenger' opens with a story telling spoken word intro - and then boom, we're suddenly transported well away from ballad to a very thunderous heavy foot stomp. The sheer force of 'Avenger' is fairly brutal for the power metal style, and may just leave a few bruises on a few listeners out there. 'Out From The Shadows' carries on the previous songs more mellow opening strains, and definitely makes a beeline toward ballad territory, but stops short, instead opting for the hustle and bustle type of mid tempo metal. 'Neverending Fight' returns the pace of earlier, and fairly gallops on, providing the head bang ability that was lacking across the last few songs. One of the most infectious songs on the album, 'Neverending Fight' is also the most melodic. And to the final song, and the second seven minute plus epic - the tension filled and highly atmospheric 'Last Tale'. With its slow tempo, and anticipation building rhythm, 'Last Tale' does become heavier, with a bit more oomph, and brings the album to a close with energy and bombast. | ||||||
| Overall, a very heavy yet melodic romp through every facet of the power metal genre, 'The Mad King' is both a progression and growth from the bands debut album. | ||||||
| Review by Iron Mathew Collins | ||||||
| Reviewed for Metal Gods TV | ||||||
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| Warrior Path | ||||||
| "a fantastic and quite frankly superb album of the best power metal you may hear all year" Read Review | ||||||
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