ADAMANTIS – Far Flung Realm

Power Metal From Boston

New England’s own Adamantis has just been signed to Cruz Del Sur Music in time to get a proper release with their first full-length album: Far Flung Realms. Adamantis was formed in 2016 when drummer Evgeny Gromovoy and guitarist Javier Estrada moved to Boston for work. They soon met guitarist Jeff Taft and former singer Ashley Caval via an Internet post calling for musicians sharing similar influences. With the release of 2018’s Thundermark EP, Caval and original bassist Liz Cleary left while the trio continued working on new material, eventually adding bassist Cody Pelchat and vocalist Jeff Stark to complete the lineup.

Elric to Arkona

Produced, mixed and mastered by Christian “Moschus” Moos of Spacelab Mixing, Far Flung Realm is the culmination of Adamantis’ democratic writing process, as each member contributed to the album’s 11 tracks. Lyrically, “Far Flung Realm” tackles a wide range of themes from ‘Misbegotten Dream’ about Elric of Melnibone of Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion novels to ‘Puppeteer’s Bane” about a character from Steven Erikson’s Gardens of the Moon. ‘Journey’s End’ and ‘Voron’ tackle themes of facing death and mortality, while ‘The Siege of Arkona’ details historical events. Far Flung Realm also features a guest appearance from singer Elisa C. Martin (ex-Darkmoor) on ‘The Oracle’s Prophecy’.

Top Tracks

The album has it’s ups and downs, with the majority being ups. Properly starting out the album with a bang is “Unbound Souls” with it’s rapid-fire, double bass Power Metal beat, and anthemic sing along choruses. “Puppeteer’s Bane” is an extravaganza of double-picking, harmony guitars, and just enough tempo breaks to keep the listener engaged. Another fun track that harkens back to the early days of Power Metal is “Journey’s End”, bringing cool riffs and speed into a tight arrangement that keeps you headbanging.

Final Notes

Far Flung Realms by Adamantis is a good first album, offering us sounds that feel like early Power Metal from the late 80s and early 90s. The mix is decent, though the guitars dominate the mix over the vocals (which is not always a bad thing). Overall, Adamantis are off to a strong start with Far Flung Realms. Fans of Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray and Running Wild will find plenty here to make this well worth adding to your collection.

Lineup

Jeff Stark – Vocals
Jeff Taft – Guitars Cody Pelchat – Bass
Javier Estrada – Guitars
Evgeny Gromovoy – Drums

Far Flung Realm – Tracklist

1. Into the Realm
2. Unbound Souls
3. Misbegotten Dream
4. Puppeteer’s Bane
5. Fire and Brimstone
6. Imagination
7. Journey’s End
8. The Oracle’s Prophecy
9. Second Sight
10. The Siege of Arkona
11. Voron (The Ravensong)