Scarlet Records
Release: 20 September 2024
Genre: Speed/Power Metal
Links: https://krilloan.bandcamp.com/
Line Up:
Alex VanTrue – vocals
Klas Holmgren – guitar
Steve Brockmann – guitar
Marco Toba – bass
Christoph Brandes – drums
Tracklist:
Atlantean Sword
Kings of the Iron Hill
Blood & Fire (Born on a Battlefield)
Hammer of Wrath
Avenging Son
The Oathpact
Return of the Heralds
The Kingkillers Tale
We Burn
Beyond The Gates
Another exceptional release from Krilloan, reaffirming that their debut, “Emperor Rising,” wasn’t a fluke in any way, shape, or form. That “difficult” second album doesn’t seem to have hindered the band from the Swedish metal maestros who love to sing about Conan the Barbarian, Elric of Melniboné, Warhammer 40,000, and more. With Henry Cavil attached to a live-action Warhammer 40,000 film or TV series, it’s likely that Krilloan will benefit from being in the right place at the right time, I would hope.
Power metal and those topics in the tales go hand in hand. If your love is dragons, warriors, rescuing fair maidens, “mighty thews” as Robert E. Howard used to refer to the muscles in Conan’s arms, and epic adventures that stir the imagination, then this album is for you.
The music itself is off the charts when trying to measure BPM and is all the better for it. Drumming at a speed that would normally see Popeye deal with Bluto/Brutus in a post-spinach haze of pummeling, guitar solos that could strip the paint off walls, and vocals powerful enough to carry across the mountains faster than the fiery pyres of Gondor could relay a message. If that’s not enough to whet your whistle, then the artwork, depicting a lone adventurer on a hilltop (aren’t they always) returning to burning towers that have been attacked by dragons, gives a sense of where the album heads lyrically. For those of you who favor physical copies, the cover is actually 1 of 4 pieces of art inside the physical element, giving the listener something to latch on to while listening to the music and absorbing the lyrics.
Similarities to bands like Hammerfall (if they were taking copious amounts of speed) are scattered liberally throughout the album and could probably be used to create the ultimate cardio workout if applied daily. The choral vocals complement the music, and on tracks like Avenging Son and the title track, the band collectively really show what they can do.
A breather appears right in the middle with the instrumental The Oathpact before the second half kicks in and burns off another 5,000 calories. A great power metal workout for the fitness obsessed amongst us.
Score 8/10
Reviewed by: Adrian Hextall
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