Kingdom of Might

Woe of Tyrants are back with another melodic death metal assault. And this time, everything is turned up a notch! Their debut Behold, The Lion was an album that showed great potential, but also felt kind of stuck. You could clearly hear that the band could be lifted to new heights. And Metal Blade Records would probably agree, as they’d signed them for this new release - Kingdom of Might.

After a short, and rather epic sounding intro, the band launches into their none stop riff-o-rama based on melodic and thrashy death metal. Just like the previous release, every song is packed with great riffs and constant growls from frontman Chris Catanzaro. And just like the previous album, most songs sound alike, but much better than on their debut album. The riffs are more refined and the songs are structured a bit better, with more notable parts throughout. There are some great “growl along-parts” and overall the album is much more accessable. And not forgetting the solos - they are a hundred times better and many of them have an epic scope to them, which really soothes the songs.

And epic is a probably the keyword for Kingdom of Might. The riffs are really epic and heroic sounding. It’s almost as if a power metal band decided to do a death metal record. And it works perfectly for Woe of Tyrants. The only time where they really break away from the epic sounding melodeath is on the instrumental track “Sons of Thunder”. Here, the band really lets their southern metal influences shine. We had a tiny taste of it on their debut, but here they really dig into the genre on this track. And it doesn’t really take anything away from the overall feel of the album, as both the southern and melodeath metal is all about working those strings, which Woe of Tyrants are experts at.

The only letdown regarding the instruments are the drums. They sound flat, almost electronic. It’s a shame, as the rest of the instruments sound so organic - okay, I can’t really hear the bass that well either, but the drums should have been mixed a lot better!

Kingdom of Might is a must have for melodic death metal fans, and those into power/epic metal should also give it a spin, as there’s plenty to love here. And if you want to start with the very best songs, give “Break the Fangs of the Wicked”, “Pearls Before Swine” and “Sounding Jerusalem” a chance.

Woe of Tyrants is a band from Ohio playing a brand of thrash influenced melodeath, and this hybrid is quite interesting to say the least. When I first stumbled across this band a few years ago I was hesitant to take a listen as they had that christian label attached to them. Well, I can say today that you shouldn't let your judgment about religion blind you if you're interested in finding new great bands.

Like a lot of people listening to metal, I find it sometimes awkward to mix religion with metal. It carries a certain form of irony to play so aggressively while speaking about loving each other and how Jesus was such a sweet guy. In fact, that's the kind of cheesy stuff I have a lot of difficulty with in my music. Woe of Tyrants sure isn't in that category. While there's still a strong religious side to the lyrics, there's nothing overly provocative should I say if it's not your cup of tea.

Ok, on with the album. Kingdom of Might is the kind of record that will seldom let you breathe, which in that case is a good thing. Everything here is played at a very fast pace, but doesn't get boring or repetitive thanks in big part to guitarists Chris Burns and Matt Kincaid. These two guys complete each other very well delivering some furious riffs, doing round trips between thrash and melodic death territories. The melodies in particular got me into it, always executed perfectly and at the right time. Another strong point on this album which cannot be forgotten are the solos. Some are simply majestic, adding much to the music. The bass is present, rarely doing more than providing backup on the rythm sections, but I can't say it's a bad thing here. We hear it and that's already better than most. The drums, like the guits, are a driving force on this album; very fast and technical. It fits everything to perfection, without ever sounding sloppy or out of time.

The singer uses different techniques, ranging from a raspy voice to a more standard death one. I guess there are better vocalists out there, but I don't see anything wrong with him on this particular album.

The first thing I noticed about this band is how unknown they are. It's a bit surprising considering the raw talent they demonstrate. Their following release, Threnody, was also a very solid album, so I hope in the future they'll get more recognition. That would only be normal and deserved.

So, if you want to fully appreciate this band, take the prejudices you have against religion and put them in the trash for some time. Trust me, you will be surprised in a very good way.

Easily one of the most talented new acts on the Metal Blade roster, the sophomore effort from Ohio band Woe of Tyrants is superior to their debut in every conceivable way. The band's ability to deliver a hybrid of thrash, death and power metal at such a frenetic pace is staggering, especially when so many of the riffs hit the mark.

Yes, this band is quite fucking fast. The musicianship is right up there with nearly anything you'll find on the US scene. It's not just the riffs and the melodies, but there is certainly a capacity to shred when necessary. Still, despite this, they reign it in enough to actually craft catchy riffs that appeal far beyond the ADD speed requirement. After a brief intro, "Soli Deo Gloria" erupts, a hyperactive melodeath anthem with more riffs than you can shake your dick at, yet despite the unending barrage the song is quite cohesive. "Break the Fangs of the Wicked" is also lightning paced but has a few melodeath breakdowns. "Pearls Before Swine" begins with some anthemic power metal speed, then rocks out. The rest of the album is consistent, all the songs here will rock you, though I found "The Seven Braids of Samson" and "Like Jasper and Carnelian" among the best.

Thematically the band is concerned with religion, history and the human psyche. I'm not sure if there is some agenda to this album, the lyrics are written quite well though:

'The darkness will not subside.
Hands are reaching at the footsteps stumbling in the night.
The stars can light the way, countless eyes ablaze.
A lamp shining truth.
In a corner roaches claim the kingdom, they scatter in the light.
With cloak of dark words, they wage this fight.'

That leads me to my one single gripe...I'm not a huge fan of the vocalist. He's got that melodeath overbite you hear so common to American bands doing the melodic death or metalcore crossover style. The snarls aren't so bad, but the more gruff and guttural vocals that don't do it for me. Scaled back a little, they would be a lot better in the recording. Regardless, this is a rising star in the American metal scene, they've got the chops to rival other technical, fast bands like Protest the Hero and this sophomore effort will undoubtedly garner them some attention.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Never have I come back to an album so much as is the case with Woe of Tyrants' sophomore album, "Kingdom of Might". I can kind of understand why, it is a great slab of respectably technical, thrashing death metal, but to put it in perspective, I have a buttload of metal songs in my library (a buttload equals around 3,300). Even over established greats like Suffocation, Psycroptic, Aborted, and Dark Tranquillity , I will choose to listen to this band. They are not as technically proficient when compared to the overall likes of Psycroptic or as gut-wrenchingly brutal as say, Aborted’s discography, but damn, this band writes the most infectious songs that have ever graced my ears. The point however is this; by the end of your listening experience, Woe of Tyrants will have you utterly enthralled and the glaring reason lies in the catchiness of their songwriting which is chocked full of pummeling modern thrash coupled with maturely crafted, majestic hooks.

Those who can at least tolerate “modern metal” production, which brings to mind Sylosis’ “Conclusion of an Age” and newer Trivium for example, (remember we are just talking about production, not content) should not have a problem with the quality here. In actuality, all that needs to be said is that these guys are signed to Nuclear Blast and instantly, you have a great idea as to the tone throughout. It does not boast the uber brutal low-end values of a typical brutal death metal album, but was produced with a rather treble-oriented sound, fortunately, with no detraction in the heaviness of the rhythm section. This works perfectly however, because the fantastic leads are the main focus of the music here.

For anyone who has complained about a certain death/thrash metal album that lacks riffs and original ones at that, there is no reason to be less than satisfied with this monster of an album. Holy shit does this album have riffs! The tempo shifts in each song on here are fantastically frequent and adds a certain flair to each song to keep it interesting and additionally, you on the edge of your seat. The guitar playing consists of down-tuned power chords picked at break-neck speeds, savage triplet chugging, melodious and majestic lead work along with some wildly entertaining "southern-styled metal", fused together to create a unique style of frenetic, melodic deaththrash. Without a doubt though, the virtuosity demonstrated through the mind-bogglingly fast solos on this album is the highlight. Nick and Matt sweep, tap, and wank their guitars to compositional perfection, leaving you in definitive awe. They are not as mind blowing as Wintersun or Symphony X solos, but in a few more years, I would not doubt their prowess to be at the same level of Romeo and Maenpaa. While on the subject of the guitars, the bass has more or less been mixed out except for an occasional point where at the start of a new riff, you can hear it play the same riff as the other guitars. Doesn’t that sound fantastically interesting? Yeah, I know, but maybe they will fix this lack of variety on their next release.

The drummer, Johnny Roberts incorporates some impressive fills into his drumming and another reviewer hit the nail on the head when describing his playing as “death metal tight”. On this album, the man just beats the hell out of his entire kit with robotic-like precision and by the end of the album, these bombastic rhythms will stick in your head like that ridiculous Fergie song you heard the other day on the radio, the one that rendered you against your will, temporarily mindfucked (tonight’s gonna be a goodnight anyone? ugh). Throughout each song, the intensity is further carried with some tastefully executed double bass drumming, and thankfully, it never borderlines excessive. He blast-beats away only when necessary and as stated before, the tempos are quite varied showing how versatile of a drummer he really is.

Chris Catanzaro is the vocalist and he is quite proficient concerning the lyrical aspect of the band. Before I get into the lyrics though, it should be noted that he demonstrates a surprisingly unique and articulated deeper growl in which an accurate comparison could not be drawn to any other death metal vocalist I have heard. The growling is accompanied by a variation into an ironically demonic-sounding mid to high-range scream which is epitomized early on in “Kingdom of Might (The Eclipse)”. His intensely powerful growl however, is the most prominent vocal style used throughout. His lyrics may be off-putting for some because of their overtly Christian nature, but despite their content, they are written in positive and convincing manner which is never a bad thing. You may have already had these preconceived ideas pertaining to the lyrical subjects of the songs from the get-go if you glanced at song titles such as "Like Jasper and Carnelian" or "Soli Deo Gloria". However, despite your beliefs (with a couple exceptions), they do not appear to be written as an aid to aggressively convert you to Christianity, but serve more as biblical imagery with a great use of metaphors and convey a comforting, positive atmosphere. For me, it is a breath of fresh air that a young band decided to put some thought into creating interesting lyrics in a day and age where shock lyrics are all the rage. Disgusting lyrics have been written to death and these positive lyrics are a welcome change.

Despite the fact that the lyrics are unquestionably positive, the brutality is in no way lacking here and each song faultlessly flows into the next. Before this review was written, it was difficult for me to pin-point exactly why I derive so much enjoyment from this band. Eventually, while listening to the track “Pearls Before Swine”, I realized that it lies in their unique compositions, the way in which they naturally shift from a glorious, uplifting lead where everything is fine and dandy to an undeniably sinister and brooding riff (and vice-versa) where all hell seemingly breaks loose. Not many inexperienced bands can pull off this contrast as well as Woe of Tyrants do. Ultimately, you must here this album in full to truly grasp its intensity and the amazingly captivating aspects that make Woe of Tyrants a force to be reckoned with. If they continue to produce masterpieces (albums and songs alike) such as this and receive well deserved promotion, I have no doubt they will become a largely respected name in the death/thrash metal scene; possibly as big as Suffocation or Testament. Yes, they are that good.

Review originally posted at http://www.teethofthedivine.com by Erik Thomas

Ladies (if there any that read this) and Gentlemen: I give you the first album of 2009 that will be vying for a spot on my 2009 year end list.

I’ll admit, my expectations weren’t too awful high for the sophomore release from Ohio’s Christian melodeath/thrashers Woe of Tyrants as their Tribunal Records debut, Behold the Lion, was a solid, Testament inspired slab of American melodic death metal with Christian lyrics, but little else. However, with their Metal Blade debut, Kingdom of Might, Woe of Tyrants have absolutely upped their game and delivered the kind of shredding, thrashing, galloping Christian metal record that The Showdown once released.

With more of a melodic approach and less singularly paced thrash than the debut, Kingdom of Might is all about the solos-and such solos! With an almost Dragonforce/ power metal like sense of melody and wind in their hair, open shirt bravado, new (former Year of Desolation) shredder John Hehmen and holdover Matt Kincaid have injected the same sense of melody to their already furious take on melodic death metal that Chris Storey brought to All Shall Perish’s The Price of Existence-but that the only common thread between Woe of Tyrants and any sort of core-isms. Kingdom of Might is a thrashy, melodic death metal record through and through, having more in common with label mates The Absence than any core related outfit.

After epic orchestral intro “Jesu Jeva”, ” Soli Deo Gloria” lets you know this album has arrived on glorious fashion and the solo at 2:43 simply heralds the arrival of something truly special. From there on the album thrashes and shreds with a level of truly epic confidence, graceful aggression and positivity that instantly catapults the band into the elite of American metal-regardless of religious beliefs. There are so many great moments on Kingdom of Might that any myspace or last.fm previews miss, this album has to be heard in its entirety; The fiercely harmonious gallop of “Pearls Before Swine”, the soaring urgency of “Kingdom of Might (Dawn in the Darkness)”, another simply jaw dropping solo of “Sounding Jerusalem” at 1:18, Southern groove of “Sons of Thunder”, busy, swirling layers of “The Seven Braids of Samson”, balls out thrash and addictive arpeggios of “Like Jasper and Carnelian” just keep me coming back for more and more, and each time my level of enjoyment never changes. My only minor gripe is that I wish the album had ended on something more epic or closure inducing than the fierce “Golgotha” - just something to bookend “Jesu Jeva” and signal the completion of brilliance.

The switch from Jamie King to Joey Sturgis (The Devil Wears Prada), has made the sound ‘bigger’, the drumming of Johnny Roberts is death metal tight and the vocals of Chris Catanzaro are direct and appropriately growly, free from clean croons and the end result is simply a grin inducing album that all fans of metal, regardless of religious beliefs should check out.

I reviewed the previous album from Woe of Tyrants, “Behold the Lion”, and I to say that I was quite impressed. It seemed to merge catchy melodies from a variety of places into a tempo jumping, grindy package supported by lots of death metal beats, and monstrous vocals.

With the exception of the huge tempo jumps, I doubt many would be able to spot the subtle differences between “Behold the Lion” and “Kingdom of Might”. The previous album harvested many melodies and harmonies from Swedish melodic death metal, some Swedish inspired melodic metalcore (don’t worry, no breakdowns or d-beats were ever present), and even a little bit of glam metal. This time around, the band is much more focused on guitar harmonies from power metal and traditional metal, and even a few riffs that would fit on a Judas Priest album. The whole thing is supported by quite a few death metal double-bass beats, and every kind of blast beat imaginable, yet the band arrives at the blast beats in such a natural manner that they don’t seem out of place at all, and they actually flow with the rest of the music. And just like before, vocals are growled like a monster with fervent passion and a very wide tone.

One would think that any new band coming out with an album with anything closely related to melodic death metal would be absolutely irrelevant, and for the most part they’d be absolutely right. Unless your Arsis or Woe of Tyrants, you might as well kiss any chance of making that new melodic anything metal band goodbye.

Originally posted at www.waytooloud.com