Heimdall
Hard As Iron

I begin this review with a necessary clarification: I have never been a fan of epic and power metal. I've always considered them too pompous, baroque, and lavish genres, with technicalities for their own sake and, more or less, always the same themes dealt with. Now, one could argue that doom metal, for example, revolves around the usual themes as well: this is also true, so, to avoid sterile criticism and debates from the start, I'll resort to the usual argument that it's all a matter of taste.

As a layman of this genre, I approached this album by the Romans Heimdall in 2004, on the suggestion of a friend who is a huge fan of power metal. The same friend had already recommended "Dawn Of Victory" by Rhapsody, an album I never fully understood and appreciated (to be honest, it seems a bit overrated, but this takes me away from my review). Given the previous suggestion, I took "Hard As Iron" with a grain of salt, an album that, according to my friend, might appeal to me for its cold Nordic atmospheres and occasional dark and majestic tones. Well, the tip wasn't entirely off. To be clear, this and the aforementioned Rhapsody album are the only power albums I own (and I certainly won't get any more), but I must admit that some of the nine tracks making up the work by the Romans are well done, curated, engaging, and showcase excellent craftsmanship and originality.

The standards of epic metal are fully respected: powerful baritone voice, Nordic choirs, impetuous and "cascading" riffs with countless technicalities, a pounding and robust rhythm section, enveloping and atmospheric keyboards, (obviously) epic themes (why even say it) about kingdoms in destruction and heroic acts of revenge or guerrilla. I could end here, and the album might seem like a clone of many others on the market. Yet it has something, perhaps in the cold and ancient frameworks, perhaps in a dark and melancholic underlying plot, that makes me like and appreciate it. It should also be noted that some choruses and riffs are indeed catchy, stamping into your head with the persistence of a Neffa song. Of course, I speak according to my judgment since (and I don't exclude it) what I find pleasant might actually be something already heard, worn out, for the average listener of epic and power (but this I'll understand only from future judgments).

Moving on to a description of the album, I have to note how the Roman band fires its best shots all at once. The title track, furious and majestic in its progression, has a profound and engaging chorus, thanks to the aforementioned choirs and the singer's warm and sometimes very aggressive voice. A good track, perhaps slightly marred by the electronics in the middle break, but overall enjoyable.

Next is the captivating "Midnight." The rarefied and calm beginning immediately gives way to a slow and relentless gallop, powerful both in the singer's voice and in the rhythms, ambitious and driving, with almost thrash echoes. The track progresses quickly in an excellent crescendo of pathos and atmosphere and turns out, in the end, to be one of the best on the entire album. It is not very varied, that is true, but it still manages to strike, leaving a pleasant memory. Excellent also the vocal performance of singer Giacomo Mercaldo.

"Moon-Red Light" instead shows the darker and almost dramatic side (in execution, I mean) of Heimdall. Despite the usual epic base, the band introduces elements here and there with Nordic flavor and impact, and once again the singer's voice, here expressive as it hadn't been yet, plays the lion's part, ferrying the listener to cold, desolate places, across deserted battlefields filled only with the ghosts of a just-finished battle.

On these very coordinates of intensity and tension, the excellent "Black Tower" develops. Much slower than the previous ones, the track perhaps reaches the highest point concerning the communicated pathos. There is indeed a dramatic and tragic atmosphere that permeates this song in particular, making me like and prefer it to all the others on the album.

There is also room for the ballad of clear Scandinavian and German inspiration, "Cold." The track is perhaps a bit naive and predictable, but it is likable, thanks to the melancholic keyboards and the excellent interpretation of the singer.

Now, however, come the painful notes: from the subsequent "The Emperor" to the end, the album noticeably drops, not so much in style, but in the variety of sounds offered. The remaining tracks are a re-proposition of what has already been heard, failing to capture the listener like the previous ones. The catchy riffs remain, but in the end, they get lost in a vague and widespread sense of déjà vu, making everything repetitive and monotonous in the long run.

I feel comfortable giving a good 7- to this band with great potential. The band knows how to play, and their proposal can be convincing, spreading across multiple fronts; it's a pity for excessive monotony (in the long run) and occasionally somewhat rough and basic pronunciation (a detail, however, noticeable only if you pay close attention to the singer's vocals). My rating is mainly one of respect, a recognition (of no value, in the end) primarily for what I heard in the first part of the album, where the novelty proposed by the group can be appreciated in all its strength.