Review Summary: What if Manowar had blast beats?
Riding on a furious momentum, Triumpher’s third full-length is another installment of Greek epic metal that I like to think as ‘what if Manowar had blast beats.’ It’s fair to think of Piercing The Heart Of The World as business as usual at this point, following 2024’s Spirit Invictus with the established balance of power metal with blackened tinges. The vocals continue to be a key feature, boasting a commanding husky baritone with growls and backing choirs ala Bathory, while the instrumentation peppers its marching beats and uplifting guitars with an extreme undercurrent.
“Black Blood” opens the album in expectedly triumphant fashion, keeping the rhythms busy with persistent double bass and weaving bass lines amidst the methodical guitar and stirring chorus. “Destroyer” subsequently picks up speed as the vocals take on a nastier tone while “Mountain Throne” and “The Flaming Sword” pack in onslaughts of marching rhythms and battle hardy vocals. “Erynies” delves the deepest into black metal as the mood gets darker, the guitar and bass pick up gnarlier intricacies, and the drums and vocals are at their most frenzied.
However, there are a couple curveballs that give the album a slightly different flavor from its predecessor. “Ithaca (Return Of The Eternal King)” ventures into ballad territory at the halfway point, scaling back the percussion in favor of swelling clean guitar and more contemplative vocals until the heavy climax, while “Vaults Of Immortals” is a two-minute piano-driven prelude to “The Flaming Sword.” The closing “Naus Apidalia” also stands out as the band’s longest song to date at nine minutes, maintaining an appropriately nautical veneer with another upbeat gallop descending into a watery clean tangent before a percussive chanted segment leads back into splendor
Overall, Triumpher’s epic metal is at its most balanced on Piercing The Heart Of The World. On top of maintaining the group’s outstanding musicianship and consistent quality on such quick turnarounds, the album does well to maneuver their blackened power metal dichotomy. While the shifts in momentum make it less energized compared to Spirit Invictus, the songwriting has its share of growing appeal. I find myself wondering if their most definitive effort may still be ahead but unfamiliar listeners can consider it a solid entry point.
