Whenever I review a traditional metal record, I ask myself the age old question: Will this take more from Maiden or Priest? Surprisingly, I’ve stumbled upon a new traditional metal release that takes from neither flagship band. Now traditional metal albums in this category are harder to find than a needle in a haystack, so pay close attention. Whereas their peers set out to replicate Screaming for Vengeance or The Number of the Beast for the zillionth time, this band takes more from an array of underground 80s legends who more or less walked in the shadows. Their name is Herzel and their debut album is Le dernier rempart.
Herzel hails from France and it shows. I don’t say this because their songs happen to be sung in French, but because of their guitars which sound distinctly “French”. I know what you’re thinking. “Joe, how can a guitar “sound” French?” You know that regal, yet melodic, riffing approach of Sortilège? Herzel has that down. Guitarists Gurvan Lardeux and Kévin Le Vern play with such meticulous precision. Add to them a muscular rhythm section and a high power singer and you’ve got a traditional metal dream team.
Le dernier rempart is a concept album which chronicles the history of the band’s homeland, Brittany, and a warrior hailing from that land named, you guessed it, Herzel. Although I can’t understand a single word said throughout, the music alone paints a pretty vivid picture in my head. The album’s opening track, “Maîtres de l’océan”, captures the same adventurous spirit of 80s US power metal and epic metal. Herzel draws heavily from these two genres. Alongside “Maîtres de l’océan”, songs like “L’épée des dieux” and “L’ultime combat” feature riffing and atmosphere in the vein of Manilla Road.
Being the dynamic act they are, Herzel has more to offer than valiant battle metal. The riffs and structure of “La Flamme” reminds me of Nuns Have No Fun era Mercyful Fate. It’s dark and evil sounding, but lacks the progressive intricacies that would define Mercyful Fate come Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath. And unholy hell does singer Thomas Guillesser nail those King Diamond shrieks. Meanwhile, “Berceau de Candre” puts Herzel prog and folk side on full display. Wishbone Ash style instrumentation collides with a victorious power metal approach to create the perfect folk metal storm. I can’t believe I’m typing the phrases “perfect” and “folk metal” next to each other.
Between singing in their native tongue and exploring just about any style necessary to convey the message of their music, Herzel succeeds in being one of the most memorable traditional metal bands today. I’d go a step further and say they’re one of the most exciting epic metal bands I’ve heard in a while. While traditional metal faces the “Maiden or Priest” dilemma I addressed earlier, epic metal, a subgenre that once prided itself on the bizarre and unexpected, faces the “Cirith Ungol or Manilla Road” dilemma. And while there are Manilla Road-isms throughout, it’s never to the point of being a blatant knockoff like Ironsword. I look forward to many future quests with Herzel. So will you after listening to Le dernier rempart.
7 out of 10
Label: Gates of Hell Records
Genre: Epic Heavy Metal
For fans of: Sortilège, Manilla Road, Mercyful Fate