We left them with "Age of Chaos" singing about battles in forgotten places, in apocalyptic scenarios of absolute destruction, carving paths through the torn bodies of the fallen. But now that war is over and the revenge of the dead takes place with the third album by the Greeks Battleroar, titled "To Death and Beyond."

Champions of a rare epic metal in the global scene, the Greeks, led by Venetian singer Marco Concoreggi, have made their way in the challenging field of labels. They started playing around Europe, receiving positive feedback, so much so that in 2008 they decided to release their third album, which confirms the good things the band had previously showcased. There is a distinctive feature regarding Battleroar's music, compared to the great forefathers of the genre (see Manilla Road, Omen, and Cirith Ungol). The violin is indeed a novelty for epic, as it has never been so extensively used in the past. An instrument played, as it was for "Age of Chaos" by Alex Papadiamantis, who now should be considered as an additional member of the band due to his substantial contribution.

Starting with the cover art (a continuation of the previous two, with the battle ongoing), "To Death and Beyond" is indeed the ideal continuation between the heavy of the debut self-titled album and the melody of Age of Chaos. These two elements are found mixed right from the opener "The Wrathforge", which begins with grandeur, navigating through aggressive drumming and crushingly powerful riffs. Over eight minutes that pass smoothly, followed by the four of "Dragonhelm", a metallic ride with a somewhat weak chorus. Atmospheric intro for the boulder "Finis Mundi" that unleashes with the usual power of the Greek band and where the singer fully performs his role before giving space to Papadiamantis's violin, which transports the mind to all those now-forgotten places of the world, recalling battles and heroic deeds where our thoughts live again, and our dreams manifest...

With "Metal from Hellas", "Hyrkanian Blades" the band lowers the target, partly shifting to less heavy and more hard sounds, later resumed by the original "Born in the 70s". However, among these tracks, there is one that most embodies the battle spirit yet dreamlike of the five Greek musicians: "Oceans of Pain" is the right mix of melody and aggressiveness. It's the very reflection of the cover: the raging clash and immediately after the calm, the resurrection of fallen souls. The interlude that evokes this is the most atmospheric and dreamlike the Battleroar have ever played.

"To Death and Beyond" is an excellent work, a heavy/epic of absolute significance, one of the few worthy offerings of this genre. The concluding "Death Before Disgrace" fully confirms this, granting Battleroar a spot among the Olympus of the most epic and vibrant metal.

P.S. In the digipack version, don't miss the covers of "Morbid Tabernacle" and "Isle of the Dead" by Manilla Road, with the former being particularly well-executed.

1. "The Wrathforge" (8:17)
2. "Dragonhelm" (4:10)
3. "Finis Mundi" (8:54)
4. "Metal From Hellas" (4:15)
5. "Hyrkanian Blades" (4:47)
6. "Oceans Of Pain" (10:22)
7. "Born In The 70s" (5:23)
8. "Warlord Of Mars" (4:23)
9. "Death Before Disgrace" (8:35)

Tracklist and Videos

01   The Wanderer (04:03)

02   Vampire Killer (05:52)

03   Siegecraft (05:23)

04   Tower of the Elephant (07:10)

05   Deep Buried Faith (03:56)

06   Dyvim Tvar (08:54)

07   Sword of Crom (04:54)

08   Narsil (Reforge the Sword) (04:07)

09   Calm Before the Storm (08:50)

10   Dreams on Steel (05:04)

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