Doomsword
My Name Will Live On

Sometimes, it happens that the album of final consecration disappoints fans and expectations. Sometimes, the disappointment is not so much due to the songs but rather to the recording. In fact, the weak point of the fourth studio album by the Lombard band is precisely the recording.

Once again curated by Dragonheart, the tuning of the sounds does not reach the clarity of the past, which was already not miraculous. In several tracks, the voice of singer Deathmaster is completely overshadowed by the guitars and other instruments, and although for epic music a raw recording has sometimes been a strong point, in the case of "My name will live on," it is not. Indeed, the proposal of the five Italians is too complex to accept such a disgraceful treatment of the sounds.

This time drawing inspiration from the transalpine wars between the Romans and the Gauls, Doomsword slightly steer their proposal by putting the pedal to the metal and partially abandoning the dramatic and martial segments of their previous albums. The songs are shorter, the pathos decreases, but the epic and compelling charge remains the same. "Gergovia" is the perfect blend between the group’s "Celtic" epicness and the straightforward, no-frills power of direct heavy metal. On these musical coordinates, the rest of the tracks also come to life: from the fast and aggressive "Days of high adventure" and "Steel of my axe" to the darker and more cadenced "Thundercult" and "Claidheamh solais". Notable is the increased presence of the lead guitar, which had less room in previous albums. All this only adds more charge and speed to the tracks, still always imbued with the classic pathos, an unmistakable trademark of Doomsword. In this sense, extraordinarily "Nordic" is "Once glorious" closer to past production. The arpeggiated start, the succession of gritty riffs, and the theatrical and expressive singing make this track the best of the platter.

Therefore, despite the excellent quality level of the album, which does not have evident dips in tone, the "muddy" and, in my opinion, superficial recording has rendered this "My name will live on" an album distant from the band's classic sound. The evocative drama of the previous works is largely lost, but the skill in creating dark and complex compositions remains intact. A pity for the insufficient work carried out by the record label Dragonheart. Rating 3.5.

1. "Death Of Ferdia" (7:24)
2. "Gergovia" (5:57)
3. "Days Of High Adventure" (4:29)
4. "Steel Of My Axe" (4:08)
5. "Claidheamh Solais" (6:44)
6. "Thundercult" (5:18)
7. "Luni" (4:53)
8. "Once Glorious" (8:22)
9. "The Great Horn" (7:33)