Review Summary: Cloaked in the veil of mystical synth a Sean Michaels-esque Thin Lizzy travels through time and the cosmos to sweet chin music some Tower Goblin ass.
The duality of man can be described in a variety of ways. For instance, in one scenario you have a hard working, loving husband and father, loved by his family and the community but at the same time spends his down time riffing away furiously in a bestial blackened d-beat outfit thematically based on BDSM. In another scenario you have a powerhouse of a man working in the construction field with incredible financial success, only to go home to knit sweaters and drink chamomile tea. How do these scenarios relate to what I'm about to review today? On one hand they don't, on the other hand they do. You see, Australia's Gloomy Reflections have crafted a sound so wholly unique that it can appeal to the nerds just as much as the leather glad goons looking to down a pitcher or four of PBR. They created a sturdy base of classic hard rock/NWOBHM while slathering it with a coat of dungeon synth and medieval essence. Picture Thin Lizzy cloaked with a veil of medieval synth and being sent back in time to fight off the barbarian hordes and glam dragons and that's what you essentially get with their record Oath of the Paladins.
Gloomy Reflections is a heroic two piece led by our champions Lord Gordith and Will Spectre. Armed with the power of the riff and the synth, the formidable duo lead a cosmic adventure through time and space to kick ass and drink beer. Oh, and possibly save the day as well. The atmosphere is as warm and bouncy, with a wholesome and constantly uptempo vibe leading the charge. The muscular barbell curling riffs, tower goblin slaying leads and awe inspiring harmonies lead to promoting quality workouts with maximum gains on the line. There's a distinct 70’s sci-fi action film vibe to the music which adds to the charm and power that Gloomy Reflections conjures up. Primarily riff driven, the synths provide a mystical outer layer of protection, giving the Paladin +2 on defense. The paladin clean vocals while hard to compare to aesthetically work masterfully with the rhythm section druids, riffmaster barbarians and the synth wizard to go to battle with the medieval space orcs and werebears and then conquer their foes. Acoustic interludes and cosmic synth sections pop in briefly later on to give the group to recover.
There are 6 epic assaults brought to you on Oath of the Paladins, with the 7th track , the title track, Oath of the Paladins being a searing yet emotionally stirring instrumental power ballad driven by a wide variety of synth tones and vibes. The beauty of the ballad signifies victory for our fabled heroes and now they travel valiantly across the cosmos looking for the nearest Waffle House so they can sink their teeth into moonberry waffles and hashbrowns smothered, covered, chunked, diced and capped with a blend of ice wraith teeth, blisterwort, charred skeever hide, and glow dust.
