Spanish metalheads Lords Of Black is back again with a new album. This is a lot that really hasn’t impressed me all that much. They don’t suck but to these ears they have always been a standard metal-act that neither make me go “Wow” nor “yuck”. What they have given us, though, is Chile born singer Ronnie Romero, a guy that in no-time went on to front bands like Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, The Ferrymen, CoreLeoni and Vandenberg. To be honest, it was Romero who made Lords Of Black interesting at all and when he announced his departure from the band back in early 2019, I thought the band would be more or less over.
But shame on the quitters, band-leader and guitarist Tony Hernando said and refused to give in. They recruited ex- Dream Child vocalist Diego Valdez and began pre-production for a new album. They also made an appearance at the Leyendas Of Rock festival but for unknown reasons Dino Jelusic (Animal Drive, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Dirty Shirley) sang most of the show. For more unknown reasons, Valdez also parted ways with the Lords – a bit of a shame actually as I believe that his Dio-esque voice would have fitted the band like a charm. So, back in the fold is now Romero for the new record and you know what they say, the more things change the more the stay the same. If it’s all same same musically remains to be seen (heard).
The band open the record with leading single “Dying To Live Again”. The track bursts loose furiously – fast, heavy and rough. It’s a powerful Heavy Metal belter, very straight forward and in-your-face. The tune is as much a statement that they’re back as it is a single and it works very well. It’s intense but also with a direct refrain that sticks immediately and a very melodic and catchy solo from Hernando. Good tune. Second single “Into The Black” follows and what we’re given here is a direct and crunchy Hard Rock belter, very straight ahead with a beefy riff. Their Metal roots shines through even though the song is more Hard Rock at the bottom and it contains a strong and concise main melody with a spot-on chorus on top. Very good indeed.
With a big Judas Priest influence, “Deliverance Lost” is a fast-tracked Metal cruncher with a heavy and rough approach. It contrasts with a slow and more groove-laden solo part which brings up the dynamics. While not single-material the tune do sport a strong main melody and a direct refrain, perfect for the stage. It might not be awesome but still a solid track. Latest single “Sacrifice” is a powerful melodic Metal number that opens with a bass-line and some modern sounding keyboards. It’s punchy, bouncy and headbang-friendly on a rhythmic and upbeat ground. The chorus is also one of those catchy and immediate ones which makes it almost obvious as a single choice. I mean that in the best possible way because I really dig this one.
There’s nothing bright with the slow and heavy “Brightest Star” at all. This one’s a gloomy and dark powerhouse with edgy riffing and a thunderous rhythm-section to go with it. It’s a classic, somewhat 70’s based Heavy Metal pounder with a crispy, classic Hard Rock groove weaved in there yet still very melodic but not catchy as such. Good stuff. Starting off in a mid-pace, the raunchy, Hard Rock fueled “Closer To Your Fall” brings on a steamy groove in the verses but when the chorus arrives the tune speeds up into a faster pace. The track is really a standard rocker that might work in front of a crowd but here it speaks little to me. It’s ok but it doesn’t linger.
“Shadows Kill Twice” starts out slow and somewhat sombre with only a piano and a lead guitar, reminding me not so little of Savatage, something that goes on for about 1,5 minutes before the whole she-bang goes chugga-chugga – powerful, heavy, aggressive and ballsy on a faster pace. The powerhouse riff-fest welcomes Judas Priest back into the fold again, very in-your-face and straight-forward with a menacing outlook. Yeah, I dig this. “Disease In Disguise” is a raw and robust Metal-cruncher that sure kicks up some dust. Aggressive yet slightly proggy, the tune creates a headbang-friendly groove on a beefy foundation and a the chorus is a fist-on-the-jaw, going for a no-surrender vibe, very direct and effective. Good stuff.
“Tides Of Blood” takes a slower route, very heavy and dark with a Black Sabbath gloom all over it. It’s ominous and dark, hard and robust and the faster-tracked pre-chorus builds a great dynamic to the song. The chorus takes the tempo down an inch again and the contrasts makes for an unpredictable experience. Hernando’s bluesier licks and Romero’s David Coverdale-isms vocally brings yet another dimension to the song. Killer stuff. The band leaves us on a slow and stripped note with a piano version of “You Came To Me”. Sombre and taciturn with only piano and vocals, this ballad shows both depth and emotion with both presence and strength. Very good. But before I finish this off, the epic title-track must get its recognition.
“Alchemy Of Souls” is a mighty, 10-minute opus that begins with an acoustic, Spanish guitar as an intro before the grit takes a hold of us before it goes off with some heavy and aggressive guitar-work. The verse begins down-to-earth and pretty low-key based on bass and drums where both Black Sabbath and 70’s Rainbow comes to mind, dark and slightly melancholic. A slow, laid-back and down-beat passage that holds only piano and vocals contrasts fine and builds a gateway to more fast and furious musical metal-escapades complete with fast kick-drums, razor-sharp guitar-riffs and thunderous bass parts. But no matter the pace, the song contains strong melodies all over and a beefy chorus that hits you like a wrecking-ball. It’s an amazing track and the album’s finest piece.
If you’re already a fan of these guys, then you can take stroll down to your local record-store and get a hold of a copy. Which means buy it online, of course. This sounds like Lords Of Black all the way. Heavy Metal, pure and simple. To me, this is the Lords’ best album so far. Style wise, it’s the same as before but the song-writing feels more focused and bettered much to the fact that the nuances comes across more – clearer melodies, more moderate, more diverse and wider balance when it comes to the melodies and production, which makes the record easier on the ear. The issue is still that LoB lacks identity. Romero is recognizable, of course, but musically it would be hard to spot which band it is without the vocals. That being said, this album is a step in the right direction and proves that the band keeps moving forward. The 6 is strong and could have been a weak 7 instead.
6/10
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Tracklist:
1. Dying To Live Again
2. Into The Black
3. Deliverance Lost
4. Sacrifice
5. Brightest Star
6. Closer To Your Fall
7. Shadows Kill Twice
8. Disease In Disguise
9. Tides Of Blood
10. Alchemy Of Souls
11. You Came To Me (Piano Version)
CD & Festival reviews 