Aedris

Possessed Steel augments the recent influx of epic heavy metal revival bands from the US and Canada that continue the tradition of 80s greats such as Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol. Stolid and chunky as their riffs are, they're capable of higher speeds on the right songs. The vocals are a sort of gritty tenor, reminding me of a lower-voiced Trevor William Church, though guitarist/vocalist Talon Sullivan switches to harsh vocals for effect on a few songs -- you can't have a song about a frost lich without some evil vocals, after all! The guitar tone is perfect for the sound they're aiming for, heavy on the low end and with only a little harshness to it; I also enjoyed the mixing job they did on the drums, a sort of surround-sound effect that periodically crosses the sides of the stereo speakers. After the ferocity of Assault on the Twilight Keep, a high-speed thrasher that is one of my favorite songs on the album, we get the exact opposite: Free at Last, a folkish acoustic piece complete with birdsong samples. The last two tracks are both epic monsters, especially Skeleton King, which changes tempo from a furious charge to a relentless plod as the track unfolds. Aedris concentrates some great epic fantasy and history into a heavy-as-lead package, a very promising first LP. Bandcamp: https://possessedsteel.bandcamp.com/album/aedris.