Reviews

The Italian metal is now known for its distinctive characteristics.

But DoomSword do not have anything to share with pushed melodies, progressive sounds or orchestral inserts, but they choose an harder road, dedicating themselves with soul and heart to the rediscovery of the most true epic metal from the decade before, the one of bands like Warlord and Cirith Ungol or of the first Candlemass.

Like them, DoomSword play with epic atmospheres with slowed rhythms, running (indeed, walking) on the thin line that then divided epic from doom and they repropose in an incredible way a sound that seemed lost in the farther past.

No one since years propose this kind of sound, but pieces like "Sacred Metal", "Warbringers" or "Return to Immryr" hit mighty like the sword of Conan the Cimmer...

"Helms Deep" re discovers the paroxysm of the battle with a long narration similar to a ManOwaR one, and the cover song of "Nadsokor" from Cirith Ungol (!) shows clearly the real influences of the band, nothing to share out with the orchestral inserts that today are labeled as "epic".

Apexes compositive of the album are without any doubt the incredible "One Eyed God", that recovers the intense dramaticity of the blind might of Odin, and "Swords of Doom", majestic ride in the skies of Valhalla in pursuit of the purifying battle.

Conceived and played in an absolutely excellent way, not to say of the superb packaging, "DoomSword" is an album for those who listen to heavy metal since many years and not for who approached it only nowadays because it's a trend.

And for this reason is a really great album!!!

Forget almost everything that today is called "epic" and come back to the far memorable deeds of legends like Warlord, Cirith Ungol, Omen, Heavy Loadecc., without forgetting names more "normal" like ManOwaR and Candlemass, where you'll find the humus where the sound of DoomSword has born and grown.

A title like "sacred Metal", the opener of the CD, explains immediately their purposes, with a majestic walk and a truly effective chorality.

Very evocative and smart the voice of Nightcomer, to show that in epic metal the most important thing is to know how to transmit some emotions, to describe fanciful landscapes or magical atmospheres.

"Warbringers"has literally sent me in the skies, with the lightly nasal voice of the above mentioned Nightcomer to remember the magic narrations of Mark Shelton, leader of the majestic Manilla Road, another band that has inspired a lot DoomSword.

The atmospheres of ManOwaR bring us in the middle of a charge of a barbaric horde, while "One Eyed God" is a true prayer to Odin, with a very delicate and poetic beginning that flows in a chorus full of pathos and power.

With "Return to Immryrr" the rhythm raise considerably with a fine and pursuing ride, followed by the cover "Nadsokor", tribute from ours to the cult-heroes Cirith Ungol.

In the ending DoomSword show their "doom side" with the cadenced "Swords of Doom", made precious by an optimum work of a solo guitar, and with the conclusive "On the march" more connected to the Scandinavian doom epic of Candlemass and Sorcerer.

Well, a disc that is one of the best print of this first short period of 1999 and that won't miss to enrapture everyone that have in their chest a true "metal heart".