Review Summary: Majestic sweeping themes, Heimdall achieve the milestone of their catalogue. This rather unknown epic power metal band presents an album that is sure to see some attention on the world stage.
Epic power metal, as you can imagine the genre is filled to the brim with cheese, but it’s what a band does within the said cheese that determines just how well an album will and should be received. Heimdall’s 2013 record,
Aeneid portrays just under fifty minutes of some finely presented epic power metal taking inspiration from the typical cheesy imagery associated with the genre’s stereotypes. For those who like the comparison of one act to the other, think of Heimdall as a sedate version of Dragonforce. The description is far from wholly accurate but there is less of a reliance on corny lyrics, up-tempo blasting and overbearing keyboard sections. Rather than displaying a constant barrage of technical virtuosity, showing an emphasis on wankery, Heimdall tone done the effort and keep the pace consistent between hook lines. Despite the walking comparisons between better known bands, Heimdall do take a higher stance in terms of compositions. More often than not, the acoustic interludes take a precedence mellowing out the listener, lulling them into tracks showing that the symphonic element is more important than ever, setting the overall atmosphere for the record. This is found especially in the instrumental interlude. Under the guise of ‘Funeral Song’ the album is broken almost in half allowing the typical cheesiness of the vocals to take a break.
On a technical level, the album does everything it needs to. The mid-range to high falsetto vocals are well executed, highlighting the concepts of the record managing to keep it relevant and engaging throughout, and typically for this genre of music the stand out for the album. In other instrumental regards,
Aeneid shines from the steady paced drum work that every so often will display a verbose sense of timing with elaborate fills to the stunning guitar solos that range from your typical shred work to the mid to slow paced melodic leads that display the restraint this band has when it comes to technical wankery. The bass guitar also makes a steady appearance, providing the album with a much needed backbone, the only complaint to be had is that the bass hugs a lot of the guitar’s rhythmic features.
Overall, Heimdall’s
Aeneid doesn’t stray too far from the confines of the epic power metal genre, dabbling in some slight folk sections adds to the album’s repeated play values, but not much more needs to be mentioned other than the fact that this is some rather unknown, extremely solid power metal. If you’re looking to listen to some relatively unknown cheesy power metal, Heimdall is it. The music doesn’t drip in overbearing clichéd passages (apart from the entire length of the record), nor does it show a precedence for musical flamboyancy.
Aeneid is everything a power metal album should be without compromising the end product.
