Band: Armored Dawn
Album: Barbarians in Black
Release Date: 23rd February 2018
I think I first heard about the latest release from Armored Dawn while trawling through record label websites to see what was up and coming in the power and folk metal world in terms of releases this year. I heard a little of some Armored Dawn tracks and knew this was one I had to keep an eye out for.
The first track, Beware of the Dragon, sets up the musical and lyrical theme for most of the album. It starts slow with strings and piano but there is an epic buildup with the drums and then the driving guitar kicks in, and it’s definitely a track you can headbang to. The vocals are clean throughout the album and powerful. Bloodstone kicks straight in with the headbanging instrumentals, and there is a great little guitar solo in the track. So far this album is just good, solid, heavy power metal. Gods of Metal, Survivor and the title track, Barbarians in Black, all have the same hard hitting power.
Men of Odin has a more calming start with strings and piano, however it kicks back in with some power, though it has a slower tempo compared to the aforementioned tracks.
Chance to Live Again and Unbreakable have contrasting themes within them, there are slow, almost ballad-like sections intermixed with more hard-hitting, driving instrumentals. Chance to Live Again especially has some really faced paced driving section, which reminded me a little of the instrumentals within Ace of Spades by Motorhead. Sail Away is the album’s obligatory power ballad, and it is clear there is a lot of emotion behind the track.
The only track I’m not quite so keen on it Eyes Behind the Crow. The intoduction reminds me of a Skyrim dungeon soundtrack, but I’m not so keen on the vocals in this one, for me they just don’t quite seem to fit with the instrumentals.
Immediately I could picture seeing these guys at a summer festival, I think they would suit an early slot at Bloodstock Festival to kick things off and get everyone pumped up for the rest of the day. It’s a hard-hitting, heavy power metal album which you should really add to your collection. It is an album you can headbang to, have a good old singalong and get those fists pumping in the air. It’s definitely worth a listen for power metal fans.
Verdict: 8/10
Buy Barbarians in Black: https://shop.afm-records.de/audio/heavy-metal/1266/armored-dawn-barbarians-in-black-cd-jewelcase
Armored Dawn on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArmoredDawn/
Ostara Metal 