Niralet

As a new generation of American epic heavy metal bands became better-known, it wasn't long before new bands started getting inspired by them. Such a new one is Switzerland's Megaton Sword, heavily influenced by Arthur Rizk projects Eternal Champion and Sumerlands. Their EP, originally scheduled for late this September, has gotten delayed till November, but some might consider it worth the wait. I must say that for a first EP, they've got the modern epic sound nailed: Bombastic, fuzzy guitar riffing run at a mostly mid-tempo to the sound of Uzzy Unchained's high, thin vocals, reminiscent of Sabbath-era Ozzy with a little Mark Shelton thrown in. Niralet avoids the pure bombast of Manowar; Pristine War gives off more sorcery than sword in its atmosphere, and so does Born Beneath the Sword, a doomier-than-usual example of the band's sound. But the lyrics of most of these songs are still quite over-the-top, especially on Realms to Conquer, which includes the obligatory clip of medieval combat and a spoken section. This is a pretty good debut for a still-as-yet-unknown epic metal band. It's not quite as creative as its influencers were, but time may take care of that, and in the meantime it's still worth listening to.