Doomsword
Let Battle Commence

Ivar "The Boneless," the first of four Viking brothers and son of King Lodgrok, was ordered by his father to attack the coasts of Christian England, spreading the pagan threat across Europe, embodied by the Danish people.

The story that our own Doomsword narrated in 2003 with their third work is much more complex than the brief summary I've provided. Through music, the depictions of battles and the warriors' states of mind are rendered superbly, much better than a simple narrated story. The five Lombards (a few months ago came the news of the axeman Maurizio "The Forger" departing for personal reasons) continue with "Let Battle Commence," their doom/epic/viking endeavor, successfully creating once again long, complex but at the same time evocative songs, characterized by powerful guitars in the foreground and a deep and "dark" vocal delivery.

Compared to the previous two works, the atmospheres are more epic and paced, and the result of this metal interpretation is "Heathen Assault". A "Nordic" and evocative song like few others, which, thanks to its arpeggiated beginning, revives the tense atmosphere before the battle. Already with this first piece, the complex songwriting of Doomsword comes into focus: although the structure of the song is circular, the overlapping guitars, acoustic interventions, and the combatant rhythm make the song, as well as the entire album, not easy to listen to. As a demonstration of this, "The Siege" unfolds slowly and articulately in its metallic heaviness, a musical narration of the assault by the Vikings on the now-devastated England. The band sings about the deeds of ancient peoples, but most importantly of pagan peoples. "Woden's Reign" is the anthem of the Vikings, their battle cry. A monolithic and epic song, the best of the entire platter.

Alongside all this Odin's bounty, "Deathbringer" and "Blood Eagle" lose pace and lower the album's level. Nothing irreparable if the last track is "My Name Will Live On". The epic and dramatic hues are accentuated, reaching truly remarkable levels of pathos, and Deathmaster's vocal delivery reaches its peak in expressiveness and theatricality, superbly concluding a certainly well-orchestrated album.

We are not faced with a masterpiece and probably not even the band's best work, but "Let Battle Commence" represents a stronghold for all those who love this niche genre. The third studio work by Doomsword is undoubtedly a solid, well-played, and complex album, which requires several listens to be fully appreciated. From the narrated themes, to the music, to the epic nature, the entire album is excellently executed and represents one of the best works in the epic genre in Italy.

1. "Heathen Assault" (8:27)
2. "In The Battlefield" (5:19)
3. "Woden's Reign" (7:01)
4. "Deathbringer" (7:45)
5. "The Siege" (8:20)
6. "Blood Eagle" (8:09)
7. "My Name Will Live On" (7:32)