Believe it or not, we’ve covered Flamekeeper mastermind Marco S. before, under his blackened death metal project Demonomancy. It stands to reason, then, that Marco knows what black metal sounds like, but there is almost no trace of it in Flamekeeper. An occasional dalliance with quicker gallops verifies some measure of power metal heritage as well, but at the core this music is tailor-made for raising swords and pumping chests in the traditional way—think less Morgul Blade and more Manowar. Despite heavily accented vocals, Marco proves himself a competent singer for this style. His smooth, but understated baritone complements the simplistic but highly effective instrumentation behind him. His sense of rhythm—as displayed through his choice of beats, bass guitar work, and vocal cadence—elicits just the right kind of triumphant swagger to give each of these nine tomes respectable motivation. Somewhat predictably, and despite similarities to the music of trad metal legends on the surface, Flamekeeper can’t hold a candle torch to those classics, though it does an admirable job at steel worship nonetheless.
In fact, one of Flamekeeper’s greatest strengths is memorability despite its rather generic nature. Opener “New Wild World,” slightly awkward lyrics and all, emits an irresistible charm that allows it’s chorus to lodge in the grey matter. The unexpected recall to Shocking Blue’s “Venus” in the title track similarly secures its permanent installment in my memory. “Raise the Banner” features some of the album’s strongest percussion, leads, and riffwork, but Marco’s spitfire verse work steals the show instantly with its clarity and accuracy. The album’s true highlight, however, is penultimate track “As One with Light.” Using this opportunity to flex epic metal musculature, Flamekeeper soars in this track with highly effective vocal and guitar leads, thrashy power metal rhythms, and a killer chorus, resulting in an unqualified heavy metal triumph.
Regrettably, Flamekeeper’s approach is far too reserved to make the meteor impact I think Marco intended with this record. Epic metal requires a certain undeniable grandeur and sense of scale to complement traditional metal’s adventurous and eager spirit. Think about bands like Sorcerer and Manilla Road, who each set souls ablaze across the world. This phenomenon is no accident; deliberately gigantic sound, gutsy performances, and a seemingly limitless thirst for battle and victory define the style and inform the standard by which genre standouts earn their names. With Flamekeeper, a distinct lack of all three of these qualities leaves me almost totally unmoved, with the exceptions of “Raise the Banner” and “As One with Light.” These highlights alone awaken the red-blooded warrior that lives in me as it does in all of us, but even then, they don’t make that warrior feel powerful enough to take on whatever the world dares throw my way.
Instead of empowering and enlivening me as a listener, Flamekeeper leaves me terminally starving for more POWERS. While this debut is, for the most part, enjoyable on casual spins, it fails the mission statement of epic, traditional metal. In my mind, a record of this type needs to make me feel absolutely invincible, as a paragon of battle-hardened strength and fierce will. Flamekeeper, on the other hand, feels almost tentative, uncommitted to achieving ultimate victory at all costs. A fine proof of concept for Marco, but nothing greater at this time.
Rating: Mixed
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Invictus Productions
Websites: facebook.com/flamekeeperofficial | flamekeeper.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: May 10th, 2024
