Last year, I reviewed the first album, ‘Blood Runneth Over’ by Grimlord, a 3 piece hailing from Wroclaw, in the Silesia region of Poland. At that time I noted that unlike many young metal bands hailing from those parts, which seem to be dominated by the black metal sound, the album was a mix of power metal, thrash, and some eclectic prog rock doodling. At the same time I had to be up front and note the weakest element was undoubtedly the vocals which didn’t come close in quality to musicianship, producing as it did some exceptionally promising solos and riffs.
A year on, and the band has now come out with Dolce Vita Sath-anas, another full length album, and it does show that the band has been practicing hard and evolving. Whilst the opening title track promises the same eclecticism as before, starting with keyboards that sound like an old steam driven merry-go-round before a battering of prog guitar riffs, the album quickly settles down into a more metal sound. Guitar work is tighter then before, with hard yet melodic riffs, matched by blasting bass and fast double kick drum work. Even the vocals of composer/writer/guitarist/keyboardist/mixer/album sleeve designer (you get the drift) Barth La Picard are stronger then before, showing practice and development, if not yet a classic metal voice.
Where the band excels is in the huge swathes of instrumental work that dominate the album. ‘When The Heads Are Going Down’ has minimal vocal work, nicely complimented by layered acoustic guitars, the attempts at vocal sustain that failed on the last album being avoided, and a new more staccato style of singing coming across far more convincingly. This gentle start builds into extended symphonic metal work with multiple guitars playing well against a solid bass and drums, highlighted by effective, unobtrusive keyboards, before fading out again to a lone acoustic guitar. ‘Oh My King’ starts with a convincing black metal guitar buzz, with the vocals passed through effects to give a bass growl, but singing is quickly discarded to concentrate on the melodic blackened metal that the play so well. Highlights are the instrumental pieces like ‘Ground Zero’ and ‘Dissolution Of Eternity’, where technically brilliant riff after riff come battering out.
In some ways, the album seems to be in two different parts, the first three tracks having vocals, the last six being purely instrumental, and it is in the latter section that I found myself getting the greater enjoyment, and where the musicianship of the band shines. Album closer, ‘Lamentation Sword’, with opening tight technical riffs played against the funereal tolling of a lone church bell readily evoked and equaled Metallica’s ‘Orion’ in its tone and scope. The track then wanders through a soundscape of gentler riffs, before building up again to heavier, doom laden guitar and bass work.
If you enjoy instrumental metal, grab this album and enjoy.
http://www.grimlord.eu
www.myspace.com/grimlordband
