Label : Limb Music
Review By Tony Cannella
Make no mistake about it, Italy’s Ancient Bards are a Power Metal band, plain and simple. With their ambitiously crafted “The Alliance of the Kings” the band set out to tell the story of “The Black Crystal Sword Saga” and this is only part 1. The band have drawn favorable comparisons to fellow countrymen Rhapsody, but I also hear some similarities to “Keepers…” era Helloween and maybe a little bit of Manowar with their big choir-like choruses. The thing that sets them a part, obviously are the female vocals provided by the talented Sara Squadrani as her vocals soar along with the fast paced, up-tempo metal that is being displayed by the band members. “The Alliance of the Kings” features 10-songs and 58-minutes worth of great, conceptual Power Metal the features it’s share of epic numbers, as well as symphony inspired musical parts, big choir-like choruses and intricate musicianship.The opening intro track “Prelude” sets the table for the story that will be told, it is a narrative piece that features some classical backing music and leads into “The Birth of Evil” (which the band also filmed a video for – you can check it out on their my space profile).The vocals of Sara Squadrani are energetic and fits right in their with the music. “Four Magic Elements”, “Only the Brave” and “Frozen Mind” keep the story moving right along. Other highlights include: “Lode al Padre”, the epic “Daltor the Dragonhunter” and “Farewell My Hero” before the almost 9-minute “Faithful to Destiny” brings part 1 of “The Black Crystal Sword Saga” to it’s conclusion. “The Alliance of the Kings” is a gloriously majestic Power Metal epic that I am sure will become a welcomed edition to any self respecting fan of the genre. Hopefully Ancient Bards have more stories to be told in the future. Can’t wait for part 2!
Rating – 90/100
Tracklist
- Prelude
- The Birth of Evil
- Four Magic Elements
- Only the Brave
- Frozen Mind
- Nightfall in Icy Forest
- Lode al Padre
- Daltor the Dragonhunter
- Farewell My Hero
- Faithful to Destiny
Line Up
- Sara Squadrani – Vocals
- Daniele Mazza – Keyboards
- Claudio Pietronik – Guitar
- Fabio Balducci – Guitar
- Martino Garattoni – Bass
- Alessandro Carichini – Drums
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site