Review Summary: Modern symphonic black metal at it's finest.
Stormlord. Now if you don't know this band then here's what you should know. Stormlord play are a band that was formed in Italy and they play a very epic form of symphonic black metal. If you were ever going to listen to a band that plays modern day symphonic black metal then Stormlord should be one of your first choices. This band is extremely talented and every member of the band contributes something to this album. Now I've only heard two Stormlord albums and, without a doubt,
The Gorgon Cult is the better choice. This album is full of lightning fast, melodic guitar riffs, fast blast beat drums, and a wide plethora of vocals that will please any fan of the black metal genre.
First off, this album is epic as hell. The epic atmopshere that this album gives off definitely wouldn't be out of place in a battle scene. The symphonic arrangements on this album are absolutely incredible, but they don't go over-the-top like some modern bands like Dimmu Borgir tend to do on their newer albums. Stormlord doesn't need an entire orchestra to sound epic and believe me the pull it off better than any band in the genre. The best part about the symphonic parts is that they're different in every single track so it keeps the album fresh. No two parts sound the same and that should be a treat for the listener. Sometimes you'll get the regular keyboards or sometimes they'll hit you with a piano to switch it up. You never know what you're going to get, but you do know that it will be epic either way.
The guitarists on this album are amazing.
The Gorgon Cult is filled with lightning fast, melodic riffs that just add to the already epic atmosphere of the album. They'll also give you some slower riffs with the same melody and that's usually when the atmosphere takes over and takes you away to another world and it doesn't even feel like you're sitting at your computer or on your couch just listening to music, this album actually gives you a magical experience. The drumming on this album is also superb. Whenever the riffs get fast, the drums get fast too and they wouldn't be out of place on a death metal album. This guy is one hell of a drummer and he can do it all. Whether it be the blast beats or just simply keeping the tempo during the slower, more atmospheric parts, he can do it.
Now for the vocals. Now I listen to a lot of black metal, but I have to say that this is one of the best vocal performances I've heard on a black metal album. The vocals are varied throughout the album and don't leave the listener feeling bored or wondering why there aren't more vocal styles. You name an extreme metal vocal style, and it's probably displayed at some point on this album. Black metal banshee shrieks, low death metal growling, and even operatic clean vocals. And the thing is one style isn't weaker than the next, they're all done at a high level and pulled off perfectly. Now since this is a black metal album, the shrieks are the more dominating vocal style, but there are plenty of growls for all you death metal fans out there and a touch of clean vocals that aren't even a little bit out of place. It's a perfect vocal performance.
Basically, if you're reading this review, you should know exactly what to expect from this album. Expect one of the best modern day symphonic black metal albums. If you're someone who likes your metal very epic, very atmospheric, and very melodic, then this is the perfect album for you. I'll even go as far to say as fans of power metal might even like it because the atmosphere really can feel like you're listening to a power metal album sometimes. The album is a very reasonable length too, clocking in at about 45 minutes, it doesn't drag on any longer than it has to and you don't find yourself dozing off or getting bored by any means. I highly recommend
The Gorgon Cult to fans of black metal and just metal in general. Chances are this album will have something for you to enjoy.
