After four albums, Spanish metalheads Lords Of Black has almost become the Metal answer to AC/DC – there aren’t many surprises when they release a new record and you always know what you’re getting from them. My guess is that’s still relevant now when they release their fifth effort, the sequel to Alchemy Of Souls Pt I (2020). It could very well be that this album was written at the same time as the part one – or not. Be that as it may, it’s still a continuation of that record and because of that, my guess is that the surprises will not show up this time either. Lords Of Black is a good band but a bit anonymous and impersonal but that said they have gotten better with every release. Let’s see if they continue that road with this sequel.
Opening with the intro-song “Prelude (Alchimia Confessio 1458 A.D.)”, an atmospheric instrumental made of synth-strings and effects which takes the album into the real opener and latest single “Maker Of Nothingness”, a slower paced, heavy and dark Metal number that brings on some edgy riffing over a steady beat – very punchy and hard-hitting. Ronnie Romero’s vocals are powerful yet melodic which suits both the in-your-face outlook and the memorable main-melody. The chorus is direct and effective without being catchy as such. Good one.
Leading single “What’s Become Of Us” is an uptempo rocker, very straight forward and intensively heavy but way more melodic and accessible than the opener. It’s a foot-stomping, rhythmic piece with chugging guitars and a powerhouse rhythm-section but it also contains a direct hook which makes the chorus easy to embrace – catchy but not poppy. Great song. Second single “Bound To You” is carried by a stompy beat and guitarist Tony Hernandez lays some rough-edged guitars on top but with a prominent keyboard to smoothen things out some – and I mean that in a good way. Romero takes an ominous route vocally which contrasts great with the song hooky melodies and catchy refrain. I like.
Classic Hard Rock and Metal meets up in the mid-paced cruncher “Before That Time Can Come”. It opens with a high-octane guitar-riff but a piano-section takes over from there until the band rejoins which in turn takes the song into a semi-balladic structure but in a heavy, dark and bouncy way. There’s some smoothening keyboards on top as well as a memorable vocal-melody both in verse and chorus. Good one. The dark vibes continues with the beefy “Mind Killer”, a tune that holds some gritty guitars and an ominous touch provided by the goth-like keyboards and a contrasting piano. It’s heavy and hard-hitting and it brings on an immediate vocal-melody that, especially in the chorus, holds a direct hook. Good.
The fast, heavy and blasting metal-belter “Death Dealer” brings on a bit of Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force vibe with its kicking drums, muscular bass-lines and razor-sharp guitars with an edgy keyboard onboard. It’s an aggressive headbanger albeit still with an effective main-melody and a direct chorus. It’s not great but it works. “Prayers Turned To Whispers” starts out laid-back with a ghostly atmosphere on a dark synth-bass riff and vocals. It’s a medium tempo number that when the rest of the band comes in holds some fat rhythms, chunky riffing and a dark and heavy outlook. The refrain hits the spot right away, very catchy and direct. Very good indeed.
The band takes a more progressive route with the heavy, rhythmic and staccato riffing “In A Different Light”. It’s an epic-ish, hard-edged metal-bouncer that breaks off with down-beat passages and an über-heavy, headbang-welcoming mid-break. It takes yet another turn in the solo-section where it goes into a way more melodic structure. Maybe they went for an overkill here because without being bad, the song just won’t lift and the chorus kinda gets lost as well. The riff-happy “How Long Do I Have Now” comes in a mid-pace on a heavy foundation and a poundy beat but also a delicate piano weaved into the mix. The pre-chorus slows down the tune considerably but the chorus speeds the pace up again. A good song but a step or two from great.
On a way more aggressive manner “Fated To Be Destroyed” kicks off like a wounded elephant, heavy, dark, kicking and screaming with thrashy riff not a far cry from Motley Crue’s “Smoke The Sky”. It’s straight-forward, gritty and hard – full blast and no squiggles but changes character a bit when a stripped and low-key break with only vocals and guitar lets us breathe for a while. It also flirts with Thrash Metal in the drum department but the song also holds a very melodic vocal-melody and a direct chorus with a memorable hook. It’s a song of contrasts which makes for an interesting experience. Very good.
More Thrash Metal influences comes around in “No Hero Is Homeless” that blasts away with gritty guitar-riffing and smattering drums. The verses are very metal-rhythmic with some raw and aggressive vocals. There’s a structure change in the pre-chorus which takes a more melodic path until the chorus speeds the song up again with uptempo, blast-beat like drumming and edgy guitars. All in all, an ok song but it doesn’t really linger when it’s done. The album ends with the Uriah Heep cover “Sympathy”, a song I’m not familiar with as I’ve never been much into Heep. Needles to say, the song holds a more melodic touch and a bigger Classic Rock stomp. It’s heavy, of course, but also holds a rhythmic groove, some more Melodic Rock laden melodies and a catchy, in-your-face refrain that hits home directly. A damn good song. Maybe I should treat myself with a Heep-frenzy sooner than later…
As I suspected, this is a continuation of the last record. Sound wise and structure-wise it’s not at all impossible that the two albums were written at the same time and that a double album became two separate releases instead. That said, this album has a darker edge than the previous one but that really doesn’t differ all that much either so I guess if you dug that last record, you most likely will dig this one as well – and vice versa. Personally, I feel the same about this record as I do with the rest of Lords of Black’s releases – they’re all good but they never reach great but on the other hand, the records do get better with each release. This is a good album but again a step or two from being great.
6/10
More Lords Of Black reviews:
II
Icons Of The New Days
Alchemy Of Souls: Part 1
Tracklist:
1. Prelude (Alchimia Confessio 1458 A.D.)
2. Maker Of Nothingness
3. What’s Become Of Us
4. Bound To You
5. Before That Time Can Come
6. Mind Killer
7. Death Dealer
8. Prayers Turned To Whispers
9. In A Different Light
10. How Long Do I Have Now
11. Fated To Be Destroyed
12. No Hero Is Homeless
13. Sympathy
CD & Festival reviews 