this band called Battleroar speaks the language of heavy metal

Battleroar: Blood of Legends (Cruz del Sur Music)

Everything in the epic power heavy metal of doom lines up in excellence for the master plan: expertise in the department of songwriting; much care to guitar playing, singing and melodies; high quality of the music.

Battleroar strategizes to rock and to achieve melancholy. The guitar work shows effort to deliver shredding, hard-hitting riffs, melodic hooks and energies that the metalhead easily recognizes as her or his own: the band speaks fluently the language of metal. The band communicates the tradition of metal and cuts across the time and space between early, classic metal and the modernity of current traditional heavy metal. From the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the melancholy of traditional doom, the grit of traditional heavy metal, with a nod to more intense forms of metal, like thrash, this is the realm of Battleroar.

One interesting detail: Battleroar has a substantial use of the violin. The results are effective: “Valkyries above Us,” for instance, reaches for symphonic doom and melody. I am not qualified to detail the work of violinist Alex Papadiamantis, but the violin contribution to this album seems essential, given the features, moods and layers added through said instrument. I cannot tell you how much is computer/program/samples sounds and how much is played by Mr. Papadiamantis, but it appears that the violin is indispensable here.

The singing of Mr. Gerrit Mutz, he of Sacred Steel renown, seamlessly weaves in and out of various moods, coherently bringing to bear the wherewithal at his disposal: the metal-headbanging singing, the voices of the doomed melancholic souls and intensity of a semi-death metal growl, the grit and the melody, the glory and doom. The epic/power/heavy/melancholic/melodic/doom of Battleroar sounds very, very different from the in-your-face-heavy-metal-forever-and-ever-leather-and-spikes-and-bang-your-head style of Sacred Steel. The singing is also substantially distinct, which is a big credit to Mr. Mutz for putting so much care and personality into Battleroar. I feel like Mutz is giving it his best, and like he really means it, as does the band.

To end: highly recommended for those into traditional heavy metal looking for shredding, melody and quality, as well as a bit of a unique take on epic metal with power and doom elements. www.facebook.com/BattleroaR