Released By: AFM Records
Release Date: April 21st, 2023
Genre: Power Metal
Links: https://www.saintdeamon.se/
Line Up:
Jan Thore Grefstad – Vocals
Andreas Bjurström – Guitars
Magnus Noberg – Bass
Alfred Fridhagen – Drums
Tracklist:
1. At Break of Dawn
2. League of the Serpent
3. The Final Fight
4. Lord of the Night
5. A Lie to Be Undone
6. Raise Hell
7. Lost in Your Sin
8. Gates of Paradise
9. Load Your Cannons
10. Heaven to Heart
11. They Call Us Deamons
It’s been a pretty solid year for power metal fans so far, with some pretty big releases coming already, and a couple more coming in the near future. One release that’s perhaps a bit under the radar, but very much worth paying attention to is League of the Serpent, the fourth full-length release from Swedish power metal band Saint Deamon. After releasing two excellent albums in the late 2000s, the band went on a bit of a hiatus for a while, before finally returning in 2019 with their third album, Ghost. Now, four years later, the band is set to release League of the Serpent, and it’s yet another fantastic album, building upon everything the band has done on previous albums, while continuing to modernize their sound a bit further, without losing anything that made their previous albums so great.
For a band that’s been around as long as Saint Deamon have, it’s a bit surprising to see that while they’ve gone through a few drummers over the years, the core three members of the band have stuck around since before the release of their debut, In Shadows Lost from the Brave. Because of this cohesion within the lineup, the band’s sound has remained intact throughout their career, even as each album has shown some subtle evolution. In particular, Ghost very much felt like their first two albums, while having a much more polished, more modern sound to it, and this trend continues with League of the Serpent. At its core, this is still a very classic-sounding Euro power metal album, with a nice balance between both the guitars and keys, as well a perfect blend of heaviness and melody, but there’s a slightly more modern sound to it compared to albums from the late ’90s and 2000s, to help it stand out. As with previous albums, there’s a good amount of variety to the tracks, with some melodic metal, some prog, and a bit of symphonic metal along with the core power metal sound, and while there aren’t any fully-fledged ballads, a couple of tracks have some rather extended softer sections that give a similar effect. Fans of the band’s previous albums should feel right at home with this one, as it alternates between different styles similarly to prior albums, and it moves along at a great pace, varying up the tempo and intensity levels quite nicely from track to track.
The overall production is strong, as expected, and of course, performances are excellent across the board. Compared to many other Euro power metal bands, Saint Deamon is quite a guitar-driven a lot of the time, and that trend continues, with most tracks here being driven by some excellent melodic guitar work, as well as some excellent riffs and solos, while keyboards are often in the background, adding some ambiance and flavor to tracks, only occasionally being pushed to the front of the sound. Likewise, symphonic elements are used rather sparingly, but effectively when they are present. Guitarist
Andreas Bjurström leads the way on most tracks with his stellar guitar work, complemented quite nicely by bassist Magnus Noberg and drummer Alfred Fridhagen, who fits in very well in his debut with the band. Of course, vocalist Jan Thore Grefstad is the biggest star of the band, and he’s in fine form as always, with a deep, powerful voice that sounds super smooth when needed, especially on the many huge choruses found on the album, while also being quite intense and rather animated at times. His voice has always been one of the main defining characteristics of the band, and that is as true as ever in League of the Serpent.
Songwriting has always been a strong point of Saint Deamon’s, and that trend also continues. I’d give each of the band’s four albums the same overall rating, to the point where it’s tough to pick which album I prefer out of the group because they’re all excellent the whole way through, each with their share of standout tracks. That very much remains the case in League of the Serpent. The album opens up with “At Break of Dawn”, a rather similar track to “Captain Saint D” from Ghost, moving at a moderate pace throughout, with a big focus on strong, melodic guitar work throughout the verses, which are quite fun and do a great job of setting up the big, catchy chorus, where Grefstad gets to shine. There’s a cool acoustic section in the second half, with a bit of a folk feel to it, and that gives way to an excellent guitar solo. Overall, it’s an excellent track, and it kicks off the album in style.
Next is the title track, which introduces a recurring trend where the verses are rather slow, with heavy chugging guitars, and then the chorus speeds up with frantic drums, melodic guitar leads, and more fantastic vocals from Grefstad. This track in particular nails the balance, with the verses being quite intense and heavy, while the chorus is super fast, melodic, and very catchy. Next is “Final Fight”, which has a more noticeable use of keys and symphonic elements for the main melody, while still having a heavy main riff, and some nice guitar work throughout. The track stays at a fairly subdued pace throughout, with the verses being particularly calm and laid back, while the chorus opens up and is once again very melodic and catchy, with some fantastic vocal melodies. One of the heavier tracks is “Lord of the Night”, which has a particularly heavy, modern-sounding main riff, while the verses are more atmospheric, with a strong use of keyboards, and the chorus goes all out, with heavy riffs, strong vocal melodies, and yet another catchy tune. It’s a personal favorite, though there aren’t any less-than-great tracks on the entire album.
One of the more progressive tracks is “A Lie to Be Undone”, which starts with some very light keyboards, then some light acoustic guitars, before picking up the pace and turning into a speedy, epic power metal track. This remains the case throughout the verses, before the track slows down for a very soft and slow chorus, which eventually gives way to an extended softer section in the second half, which is quite nice, and is the closest the album comes to having a ballad. Compared to that previous track, “Raise Hell” is the heaviest, most old-school power metal track on the album, starting fast and heavy, and only getting faster and more intense as it goes on, with some of Grefstad’s most animated and powerful vocals during an instantly infectious chorus.
The tempo briefly drops off again for “Lost in Your Sin”, a rather similar track to “Lord of the Night”, with a strong use of symphonic elements, as well as some rather heavy, chugging riffs, and strong, melodic chorus. It has a darker feel to it during the verses, while the chorus is as upbeat and super melodic as always. My favorite track here is “Gates of Paradise’, which has a rather complex, very technically impressive main riff, accompanied by a unique flavor that stays throughout the verses. The chorus goes full speed ahead, and is one of the speediest on the album, while also being very melodic, catchy, powerful, and epic all at once. It’s easily my favorite chorus on the album, which is saying a lot.
Perhaps the catchiest, most radio-friendly track on the album is “Load Your Cannons”, a track quite clearly meant to be released as a single (which it was, of course.) It moves at a nice, steady pace without fully speeding up, and while it’s not one of the heavier tracks on the album, it still has enough edge to it to be metal. More importantly, it has plenty of energy, with everything from the drums, the guitar, and especially the vocals all being fantastic and full of conviction, while the chorus is insanely catchy and upbeat, with a strong anthemic feel to it. Next is “Heaven to Heart”, which starts with another very calm, light opening sequence, which could have potentially led into a ballad, but instead, the track quickly picks up the pace, and never lets up from there, with fun, heavy verses and another one of my favorite choruses on the album, with some fantastic melodies and vocals. The album closes out with “They Call Us Deamons”, a fast, in-your-face power metal track, with heavy riffs, thundering drums, and another very intense and catchy chorus, with fantastic vocals. It’s a brief, but very fun track, which ends the album on a high note.
Despite not having as much output as many other veteran power metal bands, Saint Deamon has remained consistently excellent throughout their career, with each of their previous albums being of similar quality, and that trend continues with League of the Serpent, their most modern and polished sounding album to date, while still maintaining everything that made their previous releases so good. Longtime fans of the band should be very happy with this album, while newcomers would very much be recommended to start with this album, and then go back to hear the previous albums.
Ratings: 9/10
Written by: Travis Green
My Global Mind – Staff Writer
Travis Green is a Canadian based writer for My Global Mind, with a particular passion for power metal, as well as an interest metal in all its forms.
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