Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if the late Jim Steinman had written an album for Doro? Now as strange as that idea might sound, when one considers the underlying pomp that comes with all euro traditional metal (especially Doro’s solo output), it’s not that unusual of a combination. Unfortunately, Steinman passed in 2021, so the prospect of such a collaboration is purely hypothetical. However, if in some parallel universe this were to happen, it would probably sound a lot like Romantik III, the debut full length from international metal project, Bergfried.
Despite being their debut album, Romantik III is the third installment in an ongoing epic romantic saga, which in true Steinman fashion, is filled with bombastic lyricism and even more bombastic musical ideas. The first installment was released as an EP in 2022, which was followed by a sophomore EP in ’23. Romantik III sees Bergfried, consisting of vocalist Anna de Savoy and multi-instrumentalist Erech III. von Lothringen, taking their larger than life concept to the next level, expanding upon the framework of their first two EPs in a manner that can only be described as over the top.
At its core, Romantik III is an AOR opera in the vein of Meat Loaf’s magnum opus, Bat Out of Hell. Sure, there are no shortage of metallic and hard rocking moments, and we’ll get to those, but these aren’t the center focus of the album. Rather, Bergfried emphasizes earworm melodies, retro atmosphere, and grandiose performances to drive this album on home. Besides Doro, De Savoy’s vocal delivery recalls that of ’80s giants Pat Benatar and Grace Slick, the latter during her Starship era. Her vocals are forceful when they want to be, and delicate when they need to be, capable of aptly fitting the mood of the song at hand.
Now while there are many euro power and symphonic metal acts attempting the same trad metal/AOR hybrid as Bergfried, those acts are largely still restrained by the sterile production and musical cliches that come with their respective genres. Bergfried, on the other hand, owes nothing musically to anything released past the year 1989, save for Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. You’ve got melodramatic cuts like “For the Cursed”, “Serenades”, and “Star-Crossed Love”, which sound straight from the pen of Steinman, countered by Benatar-tinged arena rock anthems such as “Dark Wings” and “Fallen from Grace”. Giving Romantik III its metal edge are the obligatory Thundersteel era Riot-esque power-speedsters like “Queen of the Dead” and “Gates of Fate”, and even these manage to sound more thrilling than 99% of the NWOTHM crop who attempts the same formula.
While I’ve long used the term “pomp metal” to describe acts like Styx, Magnum, Demon, Savatage, and so forth, here we have an album in 2025 that embodies this very concept, coupling an epic romantic mythos with a soundtrack that blurs the lines between blistering traditional metal, sugary sweet AOR, and Wagnerian rock opera. Even if the concept itself is hard to keep track of at times, it’s the music on Romantik III that will keep you hooked, if only for sounding so unique to every other traditional metal act out there today. Don’t expect any lazy textbook Priest or Maiden maneuvers here! Bergfried are reaching for the stars, and the love that comes with it.
9 out of 10
Label: High Roller Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/AOR
For fans of: Meat Loaf, Doro, Pat Benatar