Sword & Sorcery

Majesty's breakthrough, first album on Massacre Records, and best record also, logically enough, holds their best songs. Actually Sword and Sorcery is a piece of art when coming to True Metal. Should be a state of the art. And no, I'm not talking about any "kvlt" black metal, just some German band claiming that the "progress" of heavy metal since its palmy days has been more destructive than the Hiroshima bomb.

As the initiated reader would think, Majesty is worshipping Manowar. Not that the musical aesthetics show it too much, they're far too diverse for that. But hey, a couple of men with muscles, stripped to the waist, doing on stage everything like in the studio, singing about metal, war and pride, doesn't it sound similar?

Let all the posers die, cause we play Metal!!!

We will always keep it true, we are playing it for you,

we will never lie.

All the enemies will fall, we crush their heads against a wall.

Much of the material has slow drums, simplistic guitars, a few keyboards every now and then and most importantly the voice. Tarek Maghary outdoes himself with a great range, the songs really fit his voice and there's a special twist to them this time, hard to put down in words. I guess you could call it Commitment or Emotion. Or just plain fun, because a lot of this record is about that. Being proud and having fun. This attitude actually destroys the melancholy in the only sad song, the sheer joy of playing is an obstacle when the lyrics try conveying what they're about.

Tarek's band mates and backing vocalists do good stuff in the majestic choruses and a lot of high-pitched screams. Too many of these screams, really, it gets disturbing. The keys always change about half a minute into the song, there are a lot of stomp, stomp, slowing down before the chorus. The spoken part is as usual a theatrical piece, messed up with sound effects, something we could've done without. They keyboards accompany nicely though.

The power of Heavy Metal is present in our minds.

They are most like Manowar (musically) in Song 3, as they become more bombastic, yet sticking to their power metal song structure. Things loosen up, it's not holding back as much, riffing's great, there's a blastbeat, then a sick, sucking 250 BPM part comes along. It's interesting though that Majesty succeeds in continuing the song with an enormous slow-down, then the chorus. Majesty are masters at seaming together seemingly incompatible elements seamlessly. They can slow down like that; go back to normal riffing, normal sound without making it feel odd and awkward.

Then who're we to complain when the Judas Priest-sounding intro riff to Epic War kicks in? Rhetorical question. Majesty takes simple song structures, keeps them simple, makes them fun and in a perfect headbanging tempo. They're talented, but apart from the keyboardist and the vocalist I wouldn't call them skilled. The lyrics could've been better too, or at least more diverse. Now they are cute and repetitive, at best. I mean war + metal / battle + pride + metal / metal + fighting / war / warriors / warrior + metal / metal + battle. Am I the only one seeing a distinct pattern here?

Sons of Metal, join the Battle!

Often this kind of albums gets monotonous, gets boring, but Majesty stays well clear of that - this time. Sword and Sorcery is a consistent yet varied record with great heavy metal like Metal to the Metalheads, power metal like Epic War, a little speed metal, interrupted by pseudo ballads like Ride Silent. That is one amazing song, by the way. It has a magnificent, grandiose melody and its splendid chorus mercilessly kills any objections one might have after the rowdy verse with its exaggerated amount of high-pitched screaming. The other pseudo ballad, Aria of Bravery, feels pathetic and filler.

To sum it up: Sword and Sorcery is fun, is pompous, varied and good. There's no real letdown, just most of the best of Majesty's songs. Actually the vocals, apart from the screams, alone make a perfect reason to buy this album. If you have any taste at all for heavy, speed or power metal then you'll enjoy it too.

Metal To The Metalheads

Just for Metal Brothers

Metal To The Metalheads

Don´t care about the others.

True metal is actually arising metal style worldwide. Chains and leather, the barbarian look of the musicians and the music inspired by old school like Manowar, Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol or Warlord are arising trendy metal look. Most of all in Germany metal music has honoured by the fans. German band Majesty is one of these sentimental true metal bands worshiping the muscle-ones from Manowar. "Sword And Sorcery" is their second release, and they released three albums until now. This one was released by Massacre in 2002; all their albums were published by this american record label.

These eight track on "Sword And Sorcery" are rather long time, bombastic to the highest degree and pompous like teutonic knighty; the lyrics are of course about metal brothers, the fight and the battle cries, about plundring unbelievers' houses and raping the posers' wives and daughters. It stink like Manowar, in few moments there are Virgin Steele inspirations (but rarely). There are much keyboards' tunes, choirs, church organ - let there be more and more bombastic, hell!

If you are Manowar fan and you love the tales about metal battles, Majesty may be interesting to you, for me it is rather weak. There is one great track on the contrary: "Epic War", containings Virgin-Steele-style riffs and the really great hymn-like tunes. While listen to this song you have to turn this up louder and louder. But this is only one track and where is the rest? I don't mean that the rest is a totally shitty, yes there are some quite good tracks, for example the opening title song "Sword And Sorcery" with folk tune in chorus, or "Heavy Metal" and "Fist Of Steel". Other good point of that album are mid-paces tempos, there are not any dragon-chasing gallopades, thanks to it the music is hymn-like and full of greatness. The second good point is vocal of Tarek Maghery, he sings rather low with barbarian style without falset. Just in few moments he screams like De Feis.

Overall, the album is rather average, but yes, you can hear fine, catchy riffs sometimes and feel the barbarian atmosphere or breath the bloody stench from the battlefield. But the tunes are often banal and songs are rather boring. For the band talking about Manilla Road and Omen inspiration their music is too sweety. For sure it is not a music for thinking like Nevermore or the bunch of power metal bands from USA. There is not much aggression but rather bombastic heavy metal horse ride.

Ever since I read reviews praising the self-released debut album, KEEP IT TRUE, this German true heavy metal band has been on my want list. Although KEEP IT TRUE is still on my wish list, I wasted no time scoring Majesty’s second and latest album, SWORD AND SORCERY at the first available opportunity.

From the moment I put SWORD AND SORCERY into my stereo, I was hooked. There are no big surprises on this disc, and what you see is what you get. From the Conan the Barbarian on the cover, to the song titles, which include “Heavy Metal,” “Epic War,” “Fist of Steel,” and my personal favourite, “Metal to the Metalheads,” one has no need to guess what Majesty are all about.

No intro needed, the title track lays down the foundation for the album. Here we have a classic, mid-paced anthemic track. The chorus is strong and catchy; within moments, my head was banging, and my fist pumping in the air. Interestingly, the notes to this song indicate that it inspired by a forthcoming novel, titled SWORD AND SORCERY, written by vocalist Tarek Maghary. If the title track laid the groundwork, then the next track, “Fields of War,” annihilates everything in its path. As if the thick chords of the riffs of axemen Tarek Maghary and Udo Keppner, combined with the furious double bass kicking of Michael Gräter were not enough, the vocal performance of Tarek is un-fucking-believable. Tarek’s voice lies more in the mid-range, but never before have I heard someone who can scream so much like Eric Adams and growl so closely to David Defeis. The guy is amazing! The solos at the end are killer, too. It took me five listens on this track before I could move onto the next song. Another anthem comes up next with the apt title of “Heavy Metal.” This one again is like the first, a mid-paced banger; it is interrupted only by a furious guest solo by ex-Manowar guitarist Ross the Boss!

Obviously by now, one should have an idea Majesty’s sound and philosophy, so I will highlight some of my favourite moments from the album:

The closing minutes of “Epic War” could easily have come from Virgin Steele’s MARRIAGE albums. Very nice touch!

“Ride Silent” has all the trappings of a classic Manowar doom-epic.

“Aria of Bravery” is another track based on Tarek’s upcoming SWORD AND SORCERY novel. It is a heavy, epic ballad, slowly building to a powerful crescendo with even more Virgin Steele bits towards the end.

Metal to the Metalheads closes the album and is the epitome of cheese. Note that this is not a bad thing at all, and this tune is one of the best on the disc. The pace of this track is another of the epic, semi-doom variety, and the chanting chorus calls is the rallying cry for all true metalheads to come to arms. I find this a fitting track to close the disc.

Both the production and packaging are very nicely done. If the cover illustration looks familiar, that is because it was painted by none other than Ken Kelly, famous for his art on the Manowar albums. The production, handled by Tarek Maghary himself, is crystal clear and mixed at the right levels to make every instrument audible.

I am very pleased with the album overall, and I am sure that fans of classic and true metal will as well. The only big issue I have with the album is that some of the songs could benefit from a kicked-up tempo. If more songs were in the vein of “Fields of War,” this one would rival anything Manowar has put out. Still, for only having two albums to their credit, Majesty have demonstrated considerable talent and maturity. I can only imagine this band improving with time.

(originally written by me for www.metal-rules.com, February, 2003)