Ancient Bards - Origine (The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 2)

It’s kind of a tradition Power and Symphonic Metal are establishing these days of writing concept albums telling fictitious stories or sagas. My fingers aren’t enough to count how many bands I’ve reviewed here which follow this path. It’s not easy, though, in practical terms to do so. One’s got to have lots of imagination because the way they do it’s just fantastic. It’s not only telling a story. It’s about creating characters, sewing alliances, so, all the elements of a real story.

That’s what Ancient Bards do here with Origine “(The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 2)” which by its length one can tell it is complex. Musicwise, Ancient Bards are much more into Power and Speed Metal than Symphonic. Speed drumming, fast riffed songs, major chordly sequences. But they do balance these moments in Origine “(The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 2)” and inside tracks. Sara Squadrani is a great differential into the Power Metal Ancient Bards are intended to perform. But her voice is too much to stay only with Power Metal, it needs more challenges which only Symphonic Metal can provide her.

In my humble opinion, another Ancient Bards’ differential is the voice duel between Sara’s clean voice and a harsh and gritty male one they perform in “Impious Dystopia” and “Fantasy’s Wings” – only during the chorus. It makes a lot of difference. The contrast sounds amazing. Pompous and grand are two words that work real fine to the music Ancient Bards play in Origine “(The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 2)” most notably in tracks as “Aureum Legacy,” for instance. Anyway, Metal bands have to be extremely careful with those two words. It’s like walk on thin ice. If they are too much, the risk is to have a too sweetened album that no metaller will be able to listen to. On the opposite, if well-balanced, it makes us drool. Well, Ancient Bards were extremely careful. Origine “(The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 2)” can be heard by any metaller with no hard effort.

Ancient Bards Origine “(The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 2)” will be released on January 25th via Limb Music.

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