HIGHLORD – Hic Sunt Leones

Highlord is one of those fascinating bands that soldiers on despite not having any original members. Hic Sunt Leones, the 8th studio album from this Italian Power Metal group, has a nice, albeit typical, harpsichord-meets-shred-guitar approach. Fans of Euro-style Power Metal will be right at home with Hic Sunt Leones’ 11 tracks of double bass mayhem and synth soundscapes.

While the songs and production are very well done, Highlord has given in to temptation and included some “modern” vocal styles along with its traditional Power Metal delivery. This is a love-or-hate sub-genre and these outside elements don’t sit well with Highlord’s sound. The growl vocals carry a certain, “well, everyone else is doing it, so I guess we should too…”, sort of vibe and just seem out of place. That being said, only a few songs suffer from this malady and the rest of the album shines brightly upon the mighty mountain of Italian Power Metal albums. The album is littered with ear-pleasing vocal harmonies, properly thunderous drums, and warm yet laser sharp guitar work. Highlights include, “Let There Be Fire” and “I’ve Chosen My Poison”.