ARRAYAN PATH-"Thus always to tyrants"
Cyprus power metal heroes deliver another album inspired by Greek ancient history. A gem among the Euro power metal releases, "Thus always to tyrants" keeps all the elements of power metal/sympho metal/Euro power/epic metal within its compositions. A semi acoustic inro in "Oh dark dreams' that culminates in a monstrous riff accompanied by female backing vocals and a devastating bass line with Alexander the Great marching through times. HELLOWEEN, HEAVEN'S GATE, STRATOVARIOUS and everything in between incorporated in this song that charges against enemy lines with no mercy holding swords high in the air, simple an epic...Even more majestic "The usurper" incorporates the operatic magnitude of bands like THERION giving the listener a far more theatrical approach while the guitars slaught all the infidels with their sharpened riffs. My personal favorite "The King's Aegis...they came from Taygetos mountains" a slow, heavy, epic war song, a march to death for those who fought and died believing in the higher values of King and country with the middle east and MANOWAR influences all over it.
More straight forward epic metal in "The battle of Cnidus" and "Artaxerxes II Mnemon" with haunting melodies and Leptos delivering emotional and passionate vocals , rovin why he was the last but most appropriate singer for Bill Tsamis WARLORD."Crossing over to Phoenicia" is a German power metal thunder where the JUDAS PRIEST/IRON MAIDEN guitar dwells conquering the stage. "In Salamis" continues in the same in-your-face melodic epic metal, stories from the past told with power and passion and a great break before the chorus captivating the listener in the battle held thousands of years ago."Raid of the Achaemenids" is a slow burner , mid pace , epic with its inner violence waiting till the chorus to explode."Of Royal ancestry" is like STRATOVARIUS on speed or THERION without the Opera dress costumes and second vocals. 'The legend of Evagoras" incorporates the myth, the soundtrack and the epic dimension in a Hollywood style intro while the vocal delivery reminds of the more passionate, slow tempo moments of MANOWAR although ARRAYAN PATH are a band unique with their own distinctive place in modern power metal.Closing track "Army of the Myrmidons...." is an over seven minute epic, like the songs MAIDEN used to write when they were young and hungry to prove themselves. All in all, "Thus always to tyrants" has the best elements from European power metal from HELLOWEEN to LABYRINTH and although reminds of a lot, never imitates.
Leptos brothers deliver a classic heavy metal album , the definite soundtrack for those who go to battle defending their homeland,an epic album where surrender is not an option. Raise your swords and glasses high and praise the Gods for letting ARRAYAN PATH deliver such an inspiring album.
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