Hastings 1066

When it comes to Italian metal I think I'm becoming more and more touchy. I believe that there are too many bands doing exactly the same thing, all with almost no production worth mentioning and more than medium singers. Of course there are a few bands that stands on top of the rest, namely Rhapsody, Domine and Secret Sphere. To that short list of truly excellent bands, I now add Thy Majestie. That new album (their third) just hit me like a hammer (who said Let The Hammer Fall :) ), the progression level between each album is really amazing, this bands seems to make huge progress from one album to the other. I'm not sure they are influenced by Rhapsody but at least they like to write the same kind of music, and they do it with such passion on that album, that I'm sure you're gonna be blown away by the result, just like I've been... The resemblance with Rhapsody actually ends with the style comparison (cause this also is Hollywood Metal), but the structure, the sound and the melodies are very distinct from their fellow Italian counterparts. The album starts with a beautiful intro, with choirs so powerful that they send shivers down my spine each and every time I listen to it. It is then followed by an amazing fast paced song called The King And The Warrior. The choirs are the key to that album, that and the majestically written classical arrangements, halfway between Rhapsody and Blind Guardian. Most of the time choirs are in Latin, they mixes male and female voices depending on moments, and they truly are amongst the the best I've ever heard !!! Simply amazing ! The guitar riffs are quite sharp and goes perfectly with the mood of the album, which if you're into Epic metal will undoubtedly take you for quite a ride. The singer has a fairly good voice, he's not always enlightening the overall, though he can reach high notes very beautifully on a couple of songs but he feels kinda "small" compared to the wonderful choirs. But I truly believe that this is mainly due to the mix, there is simply no effects on his voice whatsoever... and that's maybe why he can sound a little confined within the music instead of riding on top of it. The song writing of this album is absolutely brilliant, with amazing breaks and truly smart arrangements. Also lots of small interlude tracks that calm things down between the songs. The keys are used to perfection, to enhance every part of the music (reminding me of Symphony X from time to time). The guitar solos are really nice, always melodically driven. The album finishes on 3 songs, 3 atomic bombs back to back (The Pride Of A Housecarl, Through The Bridge Of Spears & Demons On The Crown) that sound like a huge climax of melody and emotions... with melodies flying all over this symphonic musical atmosphere... and the perfect way to end an album... You won't believe your ears during those last 15 minutes. The last song Demons On The Crown is simply mind-blowing and without any doubt my favorite track on the record. Thy Majestie did for sure deliver a hell of a release here. I believe the production is not yet up to Rhapsody's level (but far better than their previous, no doubts there) and that leaves some margin of progression for this excellent band. The songs on this album are simply beautiful with their majestically orchestrated symphonies and large use of choirs. I truly hope that their use of choirs will become a trademark for them, I simply can't get enough of them ! Honestly I simply can't wait to listen to their next album... A huge surprise, without any doubts about it a challenger for my surprises of the year. Buy-or-die !