How much epic metal can one man take? If we’re talking about the immaculate catalogs of Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, and Brocas Helm, one can never have enough. But when it comes to the current crop of epic purveyors, I think I’m starting to reach my wits’ end. Eternal Champion returned strong with Ravening Iron. Megaton Sword showed promise with their debut, Blood Hails Steel – Steel Hails Fire. Then there’s Possessed Steel.
As snarky as that last sentence sounds, I don’t mean it as an insult. I just have a hard time holding their debut, Aedris, in the same regard as the aforementioned releases. Part of it could be epic metal burnout. However, there are a handful of songs that really derail this release. I could do without the two instrumentals (“The Dreamer”, “Forest of the Dead”), the acoustic track (“Free at Last”), and the closing “epic” which essentially sounds like a reworking of the track before it (“Skeleton King”).
It’s too bad, because once you take these tracks out of the equation, there are occasional flashes of brilliance. “Spellblade” kicks things off with a simple, stripped down approach. Who said you need the grandiose production of Eternal Champion to be epic? “Bogs of Agathon” boasts many Cirith Ungol-isms, particularly in the dark riffs and song structure. Meanwhile, there’s so much US steel on “Assault of the Twilight Keep”, I have a hard time believing this band is Canadian.
The biggest surprise on Aedris is the inclusion of harsh, blackened vocals. This may be a turnoff for the regular traditional/epic metal nerd, I mean, diehard, but I enjoy them. They definitely add an edge to the songs which would not be present otherwise. For those who are concerned, don’t worry. These vocals only appear for select sections throughout, not entire songs.
With a bit more finetuning, Possessed Steel could one day conjure the power to slay the head of this jaded metal journalist. Until then, I’ll be spinning Crystal Logic for the ten zillionth time.
5 out of 10
Label: Temple of Mystery Records
Genre: Epic Heavy Metal
For fans of: Eternal Champion, Cirith Ungol, Brocas Helm