Ancient Empire

Diviner – Avaton Review

Diviner – Avaton Review

“In a year steeped with excessive amounts of death metal and the unspeakable depravities that go with that, I’ve been without my normal dosage of sword-swinging traditional and trve metals. Luckily, the Hellenic warriors in Diviner are out to remedy that situation with their mammoth third opus, Avaton. Since their founding in 2015, Diviner made it their business to bring burly, machismo-laden classic metal to the masses on quality platters Fallen Empires and Realms of Time.” Divine interwention.

Black Soul Horde – Horrors from the Void Review

Black Soul Horde – Horrors from the Void Review

“So you just endured a long, soul-killing week of nonstop 4.0s at the AMG Forced Labor Emporium and need to get away from a certain cadre of overrating hack reviewers. You get home, kick off the war boots, seize a large tankard of ale, a larger goblet of hobo wine, and sit down for a relaxed sampling of Black Soul Horde’s latest platter of epic/trve sword-worship, Horrors from the Void. And what happens? You get unexpectedly tentacle smacked across the face, chest, and ham hocks by slimy Lovecraftian horrors from beyond space and time.” Tendril innsmouth disease.

Ancient Empire – Priest of Stygia Review

Ancient Empire – Priest of Stygia Review

Ancient Empire have been banging out classic, trve heavy metal albums since 2014, yet they’ve landed scandalously little exposure from AMG. I intended to cover their 2016 Other World outing but time got the best of me. We gave a TYMHM to 2017s The Tower, but whiffed on their 2019 follow-up. I will not let this string of injustices continue! This week sees the release of their sixth album Priest of Stygia, and the state of the Empire is strong. Rocking a vintage US power metal sound that can be described as Judicator meets Diviner and Visigoth, these old school warriors deliver ballsy, slightly epical traditional metal with a no-nonsense approach that’s refreshing and direct.” Snake Whacking Day.

Ancient Empire – The Tower [Things You Might Have Missed 2017]

Ancient Empire – The Tower [Things You Might Have Missed 2017]

“When I was a wee swordbearer in the northern taiga with fewer years under my belt and not enough Jørn Lande in my life, I lived on a metal diet comprised almost solely of Freedom Call, Power Quest, Dark Moor, and their ilk. I was absolutely convinced that other than Kamelot, there was really nothing coming out of the US that could interest me. Then, a couple years later, I was slapped silly by Pharaoh, Nevermore, and Twisted Tower Dire.” Murican power metal – it’ll slap ya.